Calaveras
2013 11' x 29' mixed media mural
Site: H*Art Gallery of Tennessee (110 East Main Street)
Artists: 24 students from Boyd-Buchanan School and Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy with lead artist Jas Milam
Partners: Boyd-Buchanan School (BBS), Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy (CGLA), H*Art Gallery of Tennessee, La Paz Chattanooga and Spark: A Right Brain Celebration
Description: Twelve students of Latino descent from the Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy were paired with twelve students from a Spanish class at the Boyd-Buchannan School to design and paint a Day-of-the-Dead inspired mural for the H*Art Gallery of Tennessee’s exterior wall. During eight hours of Mark Making programming, the students learned about the Mexican holiday, Day-of-the-Dead, engaged in intercultural dialogue, created sugar skull designs honoring ancestors, and finally painted the mural.
Calaveras acted as a bridge between cultures, symbolizing an effort to create a more inclusive society, celebrate Chattanooga's Latino population, and educate the citizens about the rich diversity of Chattanooga culture.