"500 Years"- The Mural Nobody Asked For

This is an ode to other people in various faith traditions who struggle with connecting their ministry with their passions. For many years I did not know how to use my craft to enhance my role as spiritual care giver. It took many tries from painting and preaching to a variation of art therapy for me to finally come up with a concoction that works. If you are still trying to find your way I encourage you to keep trying and I can almost guarantee that something will click.

My Truth

I packed paint brushes for my internship in Argentina already certain that they will come in handy. They are not particularly good brushes. Many come from basic sets. Some with shedding tips. But I know these brushes as if they were my own finger tips. They work for me and that is all that mattered.

This particular journey began at the end of October when the High School Director asked me about projects I had planned to do with the students. I proposed us doing a mural since I had just spent over five months painting rooms of murals in my previous position. At this point I already had a sufficient method for the task and enough enthusiasm to sell the dream. The enthusiasm worked as more students were pulled into the office to begin brainstorming ideas. They provided interesting bible verses that related to baptism and God caring for us. It was nourishing. The Director then gave me the objective to complete a rough colored draft of the concept and we would determine next steps from there. 

The Process

We began at the beginning of November as the school year was slowly winding down and recreo became more common.

Cay and I

At first it was quiet. Students seemed curious as I sketched but not too anxious to help until the paints came out. Soon enough a dozen students at a time would ask to help during their mere fifteen minutes of freedom between sessions. I would struggle to explain what I needed them to do but somehow they always managed to make it happen. Some were better than others at english and doubled as my translator. It did not take long for the ones who really enjoyed both art and english to really latch on to the mural. There was one in particular, we’ll call her Cay, who soon became my go- to artist with her very steady hand. 

The mural was used for our mannequin challenge as a bunch of second and first year students grabbed brushes and paints while standing as still as possible in strange positions.

 Mannequin Challenge

The mural became a point of brief conversations like when a student first asked me about my thoughts on God. The mural acted as a source of amazement for the primary school students every time they marched across the patio from one class room to another. The mural was a moment of escape as the girls who worked the indoor kiosko came when their boss went to purchase more inventory. This did not belong to me. It belonged to us.

As it became harder to reach from the ground and on school desks, we finally put the brushes down along with our school books. School was over for the summer and the mural was put to the rest. It was nearly halfway done and although the bottom half was really coming together, it looked quite strange without the draft at hand.

The new school year began in March but we did not recommence at the mural until June. We were waiting for a scaffold that would give us the necessary height to finish such a tall mural. In many ways it worked out for the better. The first few months back were incredibly warm making the patio unbearable and the Lenten and Easter season turned out to be much more overwhelming than expected. But church culture did not necessarily translate to school culture as students and staff continued to ask about the mural. A half finished piece can only be “Que lindo” for so long.

The Half Way Point

Shift in Perspective

I returned to the piece but this time with spectators instead of teammates. Many remained interested in painting however precautions needed to be followed as the scaffold made things more complicated. Mural time went from community to a fishbowl where I was the only one inside of the glass. Students would stare during recreo, others would make gestures and assure me of my work. Cay and I continued to miss each other as well though we managed to make time for conversation when we could. It turns out she will be transferring schools so she can pursue art in a classroom setting. I couldn’t even be upset. If you have the confidence then you should pursue what you love. 

My "Fishbowl"

While I was secluded standing above everyone else in the patio, painting alone allowed me to use recreo time to better engage with students instead of supervising. Sometimes I would just sit next to some students with open books and talk about the classes they are taking. If I needed something, students were more than happy to pass me paint or refresh the water. Other times I would simply sit back and enjoy them being their goofy teenage selves. Surely they spent enough time watching me be goofy dancing to my choice of music while painting. Primary school students would still wave at me from the hallway and stare opened mouth while walking by. It was different- but it was Okay. The students knew me now. We really did not need the buffer that was the mural. My spanish is better. I see them in town. The mural had served its purpose. 

Life Taking and Life Giving

Then tragedy hit my community the last weekend of June where three of our students lost their lives and one was in critical condition. The school closed for over half of a week as the entire community gathered to celebrate them and the other twelve who had died. Out of grievance I returned to the mural and painted. For three hours I sat in the empty patio and incorporated memorial ballet slippers laced into the hand of God and posted it on Instagram.

Memorial Ballet Slippers

When students caught wind of the adjustment, the image was shared by the dozens. After releasing it on Facebook the cycle of sharing continued. Between Tuesday and Wednesday of that week the image ended up in the hands of the parents who lost their girls.

The following day two blessings had come from what was a reflexive act. One of the parents of our three girls passed by the mural and told a local staff person his daughter was present in the mural. After a morning of grieving he was able to see the beautiful life that was in his little girl in this simple piece of art. Then later that afternoon I was summoned by the school staff to meet a set of parents in the patio. They were the parents of another girl, the mother’s only child. As I walked up from behind there I saw the father snapping photos and the mother just staring. The two literally left their home today just to come and see the mural in person. They were both familiar with my face from the wake but we had not spoken before. The mother asked if this was my work and when I informed her it was she responded to me with a warm embrace. Her husband did the same as he continued to tell me “Thank you. Thank you.” Two days ago I did not even know how to speak to them in their time of trial but today we were able to connect over painted ballet slippers. The anxiety I once had about being present in their pain suddenly vanished and a piece of the mural was given new purpose. I will never forget that the day.

It was not long before I learned my young artist Cay was niece of the mother who gave me that warm embrace. She had lost her cousin. Soon I began skimming through my photo album to see if her cousin too was part of my dozens paint crew. This became very heavy.

Peace

The development of the mural did not end there. In fact, it is just beginning. A group of fourth graders entered the patio as I was finishing up on Luther. They began to applaud by the command of the teacher. There was 60% chance of tears. The mural was completed by 6:00pm on Wednesday July 5th, much sooner than anticipated. Tomorrow students will see it completed in person for the first time. Hopefully so will students ten years from now. This project brought me a lot of joy and I know it has been a symbol of joy to others as well. I look forward to students pointing at it and claiming their mark. It excites me to think maybe some other kids will inspired enough to want to coordinate their own mural. I hope visitors gravitate to it like the Bishop of Hungary or another IELU pastor. But above all, I am eager for others to share their own stories around the mural and how it impacted them. 

"500 Anos"

Description

The mural would be an ode to the 500 anniversary of Lutheranism and the Latin@ Americana context. After it was mentioned that there were no images of Martin Luther in the entire school, I incorporated a colorful portrait of the Founding Father. Next to him would be his historical Latin quote “Solus Christus. Sola Fide. Sola Gratia.” or as we know it in english, “Christ alone. Faith alone. Grace alone.” This is a staple to the understanding of salvation in the Lutheran tradition. Below the quote contains the flag of the Indigenous people of Argentina used in the Province of Buenos Aires stamped with an indigenous drummer symbol. The idea was to incorporate the rich history that is Argentina which begins with the original people. In the center of the mural there is the hand of God holding a young girl. The holy waters of baptism are being poured upon her as she is craddled in the hand of the creator. Both the girl and God are painted intentionally with darker skin as it was important for me as the artist to convey a God of my understanding rather than a colonized representation. The girl is equally brown as she is not unique to Argentina but could represent from nearly any cultural context. what makes her distinct to the school is the IEA uniform that she is wearing. The symbolism here always works for our three girls. Finally at the opposing end of Luther is the renowned Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. She is a feminist icon and her image is posted all over Buenos Aires. Incorporating her was an intentional decision to combat machismo culture and male- dominated spaces. It is important for young femme students to be able to look up on a wall and see greatness in their own image. The crest of Frida’s attire is the Luther Rose. It seemed fitting to incorporate the rose into a 500 year memorial piece. While the piece is very symbolic, the strange designs and color palette are a clear expression of my identity as an artist. 

#ReclaimMissionary

*For the record this is an entirely hand painted piece*