The completed mural on the San Luis Valley Museum in Alamosa represents more than a year’s work and centuries of San Luis Valley history. Although the mural was on the SLV Museum’s exterior wall quickly, Adams State University’s Community Partnerships staff worked with mural artist and ASU Art Department alumnus, Ian Wilkinson, extensively prior to his arrival.
Several community outreach activities, including social networking, were organized in order to get community input into the design and concept of this public artwork. Skype sessions were held with Mr. Wilkinson, who now lives in Ashville, North Carolina, to explore what the community wanted from this project. ASU Community Partnerships staff, Karl Jolliff created an online survey as another means of obtaining design and concept ideas. With forty-eight responses to the survey, the overwhelming conclusion was that a representation of the entire San Luis Valley’s past, present and a glimpse of what the future might hold would be the theme of the mural. The mural is intended to spark conversation and interest in exploring the San Luis Valley’s history, landmarks and legends. “Ian Wilkinson’s interest in the Valley was demonstrated by the countless hours he spent researching what to include in the mural” said Mary Hoffman, director of ASU Community Partnerships.
Ms. Hoffman wrote the $20,000 funding proposal to the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) after Ian Wilkinson returned to Adams State for an Art Department’s Visiting Artist Lecture. The NEA is an independent federal agency that funds and promotes artistic excellence, creativity, and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities.
Adams State is eligible for NEA funding because of its excellence in the arts background, documented by its exhibit history, including community art exhibit involvement. Many local organizations provided support to meet the community NEA funding match requirement. The Alamosa Marketing District, San Luis Valley Federal, 1st Southwest Bank, The Floyd Dale Higel Family, San Luis Valley Builders, Inc. and the San Luis Valley Museum all provided support that leveraged the federal funding.
Excerpt from Danny Ledonne's ( Illuminate the Valley: The SLV Museum Mural ).
