The first is today, Monday, October 14, 2019, Indigenous Peoples Day. UMD students, faculty, and staff are joining Villiard in creating a permanent mural inside the hallway near the Multicultural Center, on the second floor of the Kirby Student Center, from 1 - 5 p.m.
The outdoor mural is being painted on Thursday, October 17, 2019 outside the Kirby Bus Hub from 2 -6 p.m. Participants are invited to come for any length of time during this four hour period. The outdoor art is designed to greet visitors at UMD’s Land Acknowledgement event on Tuesday, October 22, 2019 at 3 p.m.
Into Fruition
Organizers say the murals are a way to bring UMD’s Land Acknowledgement from a statement to visualization, so Villiard’s concepts represent the Anishinaabe and the Dakota people whose land UMD is built on.
“We wanted an activity, because a Land Acknowledgment is not something you just say. Rather, it is a reflection process in which you build awareness and intention,” says Susana Pelayo-Woodward, director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
About Moira Villiard
Artist Moira Villiard has created several community art pieces in Duluth, including crosswalks, street murals, and along Duluth’s lakewalk. She’s the cultural program coordinator at the American Indian Community Housing Organization.