Original artist to lead May 6 re-imagining discussion on library farmworker mural that features Chavez
The artist who created a farmworker-themed mural for Sonoma State — one that prominently features Cesar Chavez and has been covered since last month — will visit campus May 6 for a guest lecture and workshop focused on re-imagining the mural.
Students, faculty, staff, and the public are invited to hear and meet with Johanna Poethig beginning with her lecture at 3 p.m. Wednesday, May 6 in the Wine Spectator Learning Center. The lecture, “Hero Monuments to Social Movements: Revising the Cesar Chavez Mural,” will be followed by a workshop at 4 p.m., where Poethig and participants will begin discussion of how the mural might be revised in the coming months.
Sonoma State covered the mural on March 18 following publication of a New York Times article chronicling multiple allegations of sexual abuse of girls and women by United Farmworkers founder Chavez, who died in 1993. Universities, schools, cities, and organizations across the country have covered or removed murals, statues, plaques, portraits, photos, and other tributes to Chavez in response to the allegations.
The lecture and workshop are representative of a movement across the country to re-examine, remove, and recontextualize Chavez tributes. Poethig will present her work as it relates to art in public spaces, the role of the artist and muralist, changing social contexts, and how best to address aesthetic and political art issues when they arise.
Workshop attendees are invited to join Poethig to discuss these issues and share ideas for the revision of the two areas of the artwork that will be replaced.
”The revision of the Cesar Chavez mural provides the opportunity for me, the artist, and Sonoma State University students and faculty to reflect on this painful truth and loss of a hero while articulating a more collective vision of the farmworkers’ movement using the transformative power of art to heal and move forward." Poethig said.
SSU Interim Provost Stacey Bosick said Poethig will use the ideas from the May 6 workshop to revise the mural alongside students this summer. She will present the revisions for community feedback in the fall. The newly imagined mural will be unveiled in the spring. The University also plans to present an exhibit of Poethig’s work in the Library’s Art Gallery in conjunction with the unveiling.
SSU Interim Provost Stacey J. Bosick said the university is committed to confronting this moment directly and sees this as an opportunity to emerge from it as a stronger campus community. “We are approaching this work with care and intention, supporting survivors of sexual assault and honoring the experiences and contributions of farmworkers,” Bosick said. “Over the coming year, our faculty will lead opportunities to engage in integrated, interdisciplinary academic work across the curriculum through lectures, workshops, a common read, and panel discussions. Our goal is not only to revise the mural, but to engage our community in meaningful dialogue and build something stronger together.”
“Once the mural is reimagined and completed, it will be displayed in the university Library. We see this as an opportunity to not only present the history of the farmworker movement, but also present images that reflect our values as an institution,” said Laura Alamillo, who oversees the library as dean of the College of Education, Counseling, and Ethnic Studies. “Murals reflect history and culture. They teach us about our past and inspire us to change the world around us.”