“For centuries, artists have created work that explores, reflects on—and advocates for—social issues. Art offers powerful opportunities to express our common humanity, challenge assumptions, spark conversation, connect diverse people, inspire wonder, imagine new solutions, and promote action for positive change. Music, dance, the visual arts, film, theater, and writing can also inspire empathy, which is why they have always played a role in social justice movements; art shifts the way people think about the world. Especially for youth, doing art can be a powerful way to give voice to their passions.
— Jenny Friedman, Executive Director, Doing Good Together, “Use Art to Learn Empathy and Create Social Change”
ABOUT THE PROJECT
In the summer of 2020, University Hills community members Anne Marie Grill and Lilli LaBuen Gillen started a petition directed to the UC Irvine community and Irvine Campus Housing Authority (ICHA) to support the installation of a Black Lives Matter street mural to be painted on streets bordering the UCI campus and University Hills. The mural project allowed families and students to unite in solidarity and commit to social change with public art and civic engagement. Over 1,100 UCI faculty, staff, students, and University Hills residents signed that petition. They garnered support from all parts of the UCI community, including members of the Community Safety and Diversity Working Group, Black Faculty and Staff Association, Center for Black Cultures, Resources and Research, and members of the UCI End Racism Working Groups.
In September 2020, the UHills Homeowner Representative Board (HRB) unanimously approved locating the project within the University Hills community. The Irvine Campus Housing Authority offered its endorsement and support. Volunteers and community stakeholders put out a call for artists, and after careful consideration, James Brooks and Omar Martinez were given the task of creating a mural design inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement. That initial design was shared at the Community Safety and Diversity Working Group (CSD) Juneteenth event in 2021. Community members offered feedback that informed the artists’ creative choices in the final design and placement of the mural.
Ultimately, the mural celebrates extraordinary people who have shaped history with their trailblazing, barrier-breaking contributions. Completing this mural marks a significant moment for our University Hills community to unite and strengthen our commitment to social change and the liberation and equal rights of all Black people.