Taos Community Mural

Taos artist,Lorrie Bortner, spearheaded this summer mural project for teenagers. The original funding source was The Puffin Foundation Ltd which was then further supplemented by local foundations.
The first brainstorming included drawings that were done by youth in a local charter high school. The original site of the mural was moved to the Taos Youth and Family Center, which had greater visibility and a surface more conducive to mural painting. We gained approval from the Town of Taos and proceeded with 2 artists and 3 youth to design and paint the mural. The local electric company helped by providing and manning lift trucks to aid us in the higher areas on the wall in addition to our scaffolding.
It took a month and a half to paint and seal the mural. We also included children from the summer camp to research local fish in the area rivers ie. Rio Grande, etc. They made drawings then painted these fish below the mural thus extending the mural.
The mural, Seasons of Taos, includes; the 4 seasons shown by the changing trees,(flowering, leafed, autumn colors and bare), Taos wildlife and fauna, and the repeating turtle design representing the Red Willow people of Taos Pueblo and their indigenous view of Mother Earth.
We ended this project with a community celebration at the site including speeches, socializing, food and music.
The mural is a bold, bright image, on the front wall of the Youth and Family Center, visible to those driving by and those coming to the Center.
A big thank you to all our supporters who made this happen and all the creative Taos youth and adults who participated.