Siembra Club president, Miguel Zavala, led a discussion with three different focus group questions to address the staff and students’ wants and ideas for a new campus mural on Thursday afternoon.
The upcoming mural will be on the M building and has a $30,000 budget. This was discussed with LBCC and Latinx students.
The project is being funded through a 30 million dollar donation gifted by Mackenzie Scott. This donation was gifted in hopes of addressing racial equity gaps, engaging in race-conscious and equity-minded practices and increasing holistic support services.
In response, a majority agreed that they would like to have nature included in regard to the Latin culture and people of all sorts, including age, gender, sexuality, ethnicity and size inclusivity.
“I would like to see every skin color from the lightest to the deepest,” said Cyerra- Leonne Gardley, a student at LBCC.
Gardley is also a student representative for the Diversity Equity Inclusion Accessibility Public Art Advisory Group.
This mural project is run through LBCC’s DEIA Public Art Advisory Group with the goal of spreading diversity within the campus, through accessibility of collections, interpretations, exhibitions, digital content, education, and public programs.
Another question brought up during the discussion was how students and staff want to feel when looking at the mural.
“As an employee, I want to feel motivated through this mural,” Rio Medina, career pathways coordinator at LBCC said.
Earlier in the meeting, ice breaker questions and free food were used in an effort to get to know the students and staff that joined the mural discussion.
LBCC is offering an open call to artists on campus to be commissioned for this mural. Any students interested in this opportunity are being asked to submit a letter of interest with art samples that are relevant to the commission.
Other requirements to be considered for the project include submitting a full name, contact information, three professional artistic references, an artist statement, and a resume with 10-12 pieces of personal artwork.
A deadline for interested applicants is set for April 7, 2023 at 5 p.m. Applicant submissions are being asked to be emailed to publicart@lbcc.edu.
The unveiling ceremony will be held for the mural on August 25, 2023 outside of the M building.