Community Mandalas: Independent Muraling Workshop

Workshop: Community Mandalas: Independent Muraling

Instructor: Julie Deery

Class time: Session 2

Session 2: Friday, September 29th, 1:00PM - 5:00PM

Fee:

$180 USD

Material fee:

N/A

Location:

Hyatt

Class Level:

All levels welcome

Class Description: 

Have you ever thought of doing a large-scale community mural? Here is your chance to gain some professional information and learn about one artist's non-traditional way of getting things started without funding, grants or a budget.

Generations Mural Project in Santa Fe is truly a community multi-age endeavor. School children create clay birds, animals and indigenous plants. Elders and senior citizens create wisdom stone tiles with quotes for the future trail users to read. As many volunteers as possible work to place the mural on a trail-adjacent wall.

For the talk aspects of this presentation, I will talk about the approaches I have taken and experiences I have had so far with organizing, coordinating, managing and implementing the mural, including interactions with teachers, city and private arts organizations, private individuals and city government. I’ll review some of the challenges and rewards of the process so far (and what I hope the entire project will accomplish). There will be time for questions and answers related to finding a wall, getting started, trusting yourself and your intuition.

One important element of the project has been organizing pop ups and workshops all over the city where the community at large can make mandalas that fill the mural sky. To partially reproduce this experience, during the presentation you will have the opportunity to create your own unique mandala to be added to a 130 ft (and growing) wall on the Santa Fe rail trail. You will learn how to apply tiles to mesh and we will talk about the adhesive practices for applying to an outdoor cinder block wall. You may bring your own centerpiece for the mandala but make sure it can withstand the freeze/thaw cycle of weather. A wheeled glass nipper and goggles are helpful but not necessary. There is no material fee as your finished work will be added to the mural in progress.

This session should particularly benefit those who want to be a part of a mural and learn more about doing their own community project.