by Sally Hindman
“We turn outward, attracted by the beauty we see in created things without realizing that they are only a reflection of the real beauty. And the real beauty is within us.” — Father Ernesto Cardenal
When Father Ernest
by Sally Hindman
“We turn outward, attracted by the beauty we see in created things without realizing that they are only a reflection of the real beauty. And the real beauty is within us.” — Father Ernesto Cardenal
When Father Ernesto Cardenal, a Catholic priest, poet and theologian, became the Minister of Culture of Nicaragua in the idealistic years of the Sandinista government, the creation of public murals was one of the highest priorities he brought to his new role, as someone deeply committed to “liberating art” — art that facilitated making the voices of people heard.
Murals, for Cardenal, were a vehicle for making the voices of people heard and a means of exploring solutions to problems faced by neighborhoods and communities. They expressed the soul of humanity. Thus, the wonder of visiting Nicaragua during the Sandinista years was the amazing richness of the public art being created by its empowered and very hope-filled people. Colorful, rich murals abounded!
Similarly, the revolutionary idealism and creative spirit of the Black Panther movement was expressed in the work of Panther Minister of Culture Emory Douglas who, only blocks from Youth Spirit Artworks’ present-day studio in Berkeley, gave voice to the African American community, printing dozens of artworks “of the people, for the people,” and disturbing the peace by highlighting images of black power and lifting up the police brutality experienced by so many.
The murals created through the leadership of Youth Spirit Artworks’ young artists in the last eight years carry that revolutionary and idealistic spirit. Our murals capture the deep concerns and the untold stories of the community in which we are embedded and they express the views and cherished values of youth, most born and raised in South and West Berkeley.
It’s not surprising that for their first mural, in the summer of 2009, on the Bay Records Building at Ellis and Alcatraz, the young artists engaged in Youth Spirit’s “Music on Our Minds” mural, led by senior artists Edythe Boone, Jose Gonzalez and David Stern Gottfried, with 23 young painters actively participating, chose to celebrate the social and musical leaders of our Berkeley neighborhood.
This first mural portrayed historic musicians from Billie Holiday to Jimi Hendrix, but also lifted up local heroes such as Richie Smith, South Berkeley’s “mayor,” as a central figure holding a drum, and Johnny Tolbert, the longtime leader of So