Presentation and Workshop on Revising the César Chávez Mural

Tuesday, April 28, 2026, 1:10pm

TO: Campus Community
FR: Stacey J. Bosick, Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Laura Alamillo, Dean, College of Education, Counseling, and Ethnic Studies and Dean of the University Library

Sonoma State University will host artist Johanna Poethig on Wednesday, May 6 from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Wine Spectator Learning Center 1001 classroom for a campus conversation and workshop focused on reimagining aspects of the mural “Tiene la Lumbre Adentro / He Has the Fire Within: SSU César E. Chávez Memorial.”

The event will include a presentation titled “Hero Monuments to Social Movements: Revising the César Chávez Mural.” Poethig will discuss the original process for creating Sonoma State University’s César Chávez mural and the current effort to revise it in light of newly surfaced historical context, with the goal of centering the broader Farm Worker Movement. This work takes place within a broader national moment in which public monuments are being reexamined, removed, or recontextualized.

A California Arts Council Legacy Artist, Poethig will situate her work within this evolving conversation about public art, the role of the muralist, and the responsibilities of artists and institutions as social contexts change.

Following the presentation, attendees are encouraged to participate in a workshop to share perspectives and ideas for revising two sections of the mural.