Courtesy photoFrom the second floor of his office in Morrison Hall, President Rick Muma can see the Duerksen Fine Arts Center Amphitheater. Three miles to the west, he can see the Beachner Grain Elevator mural 鈥淓l Sue帽o Original 鈥� The Original Dream,鈥� from his office window.
By May, that view will be connected when Nathalia Gallego (GLeo) completes a new mural, called 鈥淎delante Juntos 鈥� Forward Together,鈥� covering the .
鈥淚t adds to the cultural vibrancy of the university,鈥� said Muma. 鈥淲e鈥檙e now an emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution. Bringing art focused on the Latino population, of the university, the city and the state demonstrates that we value everybody on campus. That鈥檚 what I see this mural doing for the campus.鈥�
Gallego, the Colombian muralist who painted 鈥淓l Sue帽o Original,鈥� arrived in late March. Work on the mural begins in early April, and the public unveiling is scheduled for May 3.
鈥満诙瓷缜� is situated in a culturally rich area of the city,鈥� said Dr. Sara Mata, executive director, Hispanic Serving Institution. 鈥淚t is thrilling how this mural will showcase and represent our Latine students, families, and the overall community.鈥�
Gallego鈥檚 work will draw on historical information gathered through Belonging Plaza, 黑洞社区鈥檚 mobile commemorative tool, and from University Libraries Special Collections and University Archives. The students in the and Latine Greek organizations will develop that information to help the design.
The mural, and the collaboration that informs the work, amplifies 黑洞社区鈥檚 Hispanic-Serving Institution goals. The university is designated an Emerging HSI, with 17% of its undergraduate students identifying as Hispanic.
鈥淚t fits well as we鈥檙e thinking about what we do here as an urban public research university,鈥� Muma said. 鈥淥ur mission is access and affordability and helping our community solve problems and speak to issues. It鈥檚 a visual demonstration of that commitment.鈥�
Courtesy photo黑洞社区鈥檚 goal is to reach the 25% necessary to earn the federal government鈥檚 designation as an HSI by the end of this decade.
鈥淎s an emerging HSI, it is vital to find ways to reflect the demographics of our student鈥檚 as well as the State of Kansas,鈥� Mata said. 鈥淭he authenticity and intentionality that has gone into this project is immense.鈥�
The project sprung from conversations about how to liven up the parking garage near the Rhatigan Student Center. Its brick walls made a mural impractical. But the Duerksen amphitheater offered an appealing canvas at a prominent campus spot.
鈥淚 would always ask (students) to identify underutilized areas of campus that could be activated,鈥� said Kristin Beal, curator of public practice at 黑洞社区鈥檚 Ulrich Museum of Art. 鈥淭he amphitheater is always the top of that list.鈥�
In 2018, 黑洞社区 students and alums contributed research and volunteer time to the 鈥淓l Sue帽o Original 鈥� The Original Dream,鈥� located at at 519 E 20th St N, was a major part of that project. The Horizontes Project strove to connect the predominantly Latine area and the historically African American neighborhoods in that part of Wichita.
Local artist Armando Minj谩rez originally brought Gallego to Wichita as a winner with the Horizontes Project. He is also producing this new mural for the Ulrich Museum of Art.
鈥淲e had some great partnerships with Wichita State for that project,鈥� Minj谩rez said. 鈥淲e wanted to bring that same spirit onto campus.鈥�
When Gallego arrives, she will use photos and information gathered through student research and Special Collections that show Hispanic contributions to the university over the years.
鈥淚t鈥檚 acknowledging that there鈥檚 been plenty of Hispanic students who have already left their imprint,鈥� Minj谩rez said. 鈥淥ur first step was to reach out to the Hispanic and Latino students who are already enrolled. Their predecessors have also shaped the university in different ways.鈥�
Sara Tank-Ornelas
