As a part of Change Inc.’s ongoing Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) initiative, a mural for our Northeast Minneapolis clinic and office was commissioned and beautifully painted by GAP School art teacher, Rene Lopez. Read his artist statement below:
Tyler Street Mural 2024 Artist Statement:
“The Seasons of Life”
by Rene Lopez, GAP School Art Teacher
I was asked to create a mural for Change Inc. and the communities we serve. The theme of the mural is “The Seasons of Life.” The mural consists of four walls, so we decided we would depict a season of life on each wall.
Spring: The beginning of life, when one is born and into the universe that begins in our mother’s womb. Thus, our mother wombs are the universe, and our mother is the universe. We dedicate this mural to all mothers. The fetus within the universe represents that beginning, that is the spring of life. It transitions into sun rays that give light and life. In the sun rays we wrote some of the organizational values of Change Inc.
Summer: The next wall represents the summer of life, when one is possibly in their late teens to mid-twenties. It shows giant sunflower and monarch butterflies with a silhouette of a child flying a kite, running and having fun.
Fall: After summer, it transitions into the third wall and the season that is the fall of life. This is the time when one may accomplish some career and educational goals, maybe become married and have a family. We show a family having a picnic with a fall sunset all around.
Winter: The final wall is the transition into the winter of life. We wanted to depict a person who had gained wisdom and knowledge from the years they had lived and the transition into the final season, winter. We show the hummingbird in the universe to symbolize that transition from this “living” realm into the afterlife.
This mural was painted and designed by Rene Lopez and (cousin) Victor Lopez.
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