Community Youth + Joseph Jimenez
Mural Location: 2141 Canyon Blvd Boulder, CO 80302
Community youth led by Joseph Jimenez painted a mural that illustrates the various emotions of the Boulder community during Street Wise 2022!
Joseph led the young artists through the design process, which took place over a few meetings. The youth discussed subjects that they would like to address in the mural, things like climate change, gun control, and social justice, and what these subjects meant to each other. Once they selected the topic, the young artists sketched images and brainstormed words to find a common theme. Joseph discussed style, composition, and the technical aspects of painting a mural. Together they finalized the mural design and divided up tasks.
Although Joseph led the young artists through the workshop, he gave minimal input in order to leave as many design and artistic choices to the students as possible. He made sure that each participant had their own section of the mural to paint in their individual style, guaranteeing that each youth had a feeling of pride in their contribution to the project.
Along the wall, the young artists painted an array of emotions everyone experiences. Each youth was responsible for bringing to life a different character that represented a different emotion, relying on the symbolism of color. The character on the far left screams out in anger and fear, their orange hair and red clothing signifying their inner rage. Two people laugh as one piggybacks on the other, wearing purple and pink clothing and accessories that reveal their joy and love. A community elder shares wisdom with a young person; the yellow orb that glows in their hands represents the hope that arises when we pass along knowledge within our community. Finally, two characters embrace a swath of blues, representing grief and sadness.
Boulder has recently experienced mass shootings, the effects of climate change, and racial injustices. The brainstorming session made clear that the community youth were focused on the emotional aspects of these traumas. The range of emotions in the mural serves as a reminder that it’s possible to face our feelings and find balance. Allowing ourselves to feel each emotion makes it possible to move through negative feelings and find peace. The mural serves as a safe space for the community and a reminder that we all feel the emotional weight of everything that has occurred in the last few years.
About the Artist:
Flying mechs, lowriders, aztec warriors… these are just some of the things I like to play with in my art. I draw inspiration from Mesoamerican and Chicano culture, and display it in a way as if it were part of everyday culture and history. I pull this all together with graffiti and Manga aesthetics, where my art aims to balance fun and style with meaning and heritage with hopes of capturing American and Latin American sensibilities and it's nuances. If I’m not creating art digitally, you can find me making paintings or murals using acrylic and airbrush.
This project funded by a grant from the Boulder Arts Commission, an agency of the Boulder City Council.
