New mural led by Cultural Events Board, School of Education students centers Indigenous wisdom, beauty and education
March 11 unveiling event to shareartist’s inspiration and how students' reflections
What: Mural Unveiling
When: Tuesday, March 11 | 4-6 p.m.
Where: Miramontes Baca Education Building, Room 260
Who: Open to all interested students, faculty, staff and community members. Attendees can learn more about the artist and her inspiration from working with Boulder students.
The Boulder School of Education has partnered with the Boulder Cultural Events Board (CEB) and acclaimed Indigenous artist Danielle SeeWalker on a community mural to provide inspiration in the Miramontes Baca Education Building for years to come.
CEB and the school will host an official unveiling of a new mural on Tuesday, March 11 from 4-6 p.m. the Miramontes Baca Education Building, Room 260.
The unique community gathering is open to everyone, and. Community members will learn more about the artist’s inspiration and how insights from listening sessions with Boulder students and School of Education faculty and staff feedback helped develop a culturally relevant and community-minded mural.
The new mural features Indigenous wisdom; intergenerational and cultural knowledge; connections with the land; sacred symbols of love, strength and affirming education; and opportunities to grow.
Naisha Naik, a first-year student studying business analytics andCEB member, said helping lead the project and participating in the listening sessions between SeeWalker and other students was a meaningful part of her year.
We wanted this to be a mural that reflected not only Indigenous knowledge and strength but also the importance of education and community. I think having this mural in the School of Education is especially meaningful as it serves as a reminder that education is not just about books and classrooms but also about the stories, history, and knowledge of our communities. It's been so amazing to see Danielle bring all of the themes and motifs from our listening sessions to life." — Naisha Nalik, Cultural Events Board member
“From the beginning, we wanted this to be a mural that reflected not only Indigenous knowledge and strength but also the importance of education and community,” Naik said. "I think having this mural in the School of Education is especially meaningful as it serves as a reminder that education is not just about books and classrooms but also about the stories, history, and knowledge of our communities.
“It's been so amazing to see Danielle bring all of the themes and motifs from our listening sessions to life.”
A fine artist, muralist, and activist, SeeWalker is Húŋkpapȟa Lakȟóta and a citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North Dakota. The Denver-based artist has a passion for “redirecting the narrative to an accurate and insightful representation of contemporary Native America while still acknowledging historical events.” Her work centers Indigenous knowledge, beauty, and social justice.
SeeWalker’s murals have been featured nationally and locally, including downtown Denver, Empower Field, the Denver Indian Center, the Denver Zoo, and more. This mural at Boulder is a continuation of past projects with CEB, including two murals in the Boulder Engineering Center.
“As a School of Education alumna and current Boulder staff of color, I feel absolutely honored to be able to be a part of such an incredible project like this one for the second time around,” said Alexis Gonzales, Coordinator of Cultural Programs in the Center for Student Involvement. “The mural is a product of the Cultural Events Board Cultural Connections Project and a testament to CEB's deep commitment to justice and equity in education.
“Not only does the mural resist colonial legacies and ideologies, but more importantly, it is a representation of the beauty and brilliance in our Native and Indigenous communities. I hope this mural serves as an inspiration for current and future students and enables more opportunities for similar projects across campus.”
TheCultural Events Board is comprised of student leaders and aims to broaden cultural knowledge by supporting the voices of underrepresented and misrepresented groups on campus, thereby promoting student engagement with their platforms. The Cultural Events Board encourages opportunities for interaction among students resulting in respect, appreciation, and understanding for cultural differences.