Selective Focus: Community Mural at the CJM Memorial

Visual artist Moira Villiard organized a mural project at the Clayton Jackson McGhie Memorial as part of a day of creative expression on Monday, June 8. People were invited to add to the images she created of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and a raised fist. The activities also included interviews of black, indigenous and people of color on the topic of police brutality. The interviews will be used in a documentary produced by DanSan Creatives. June 15 marks 100 years since the lynching of Elias Clayton, Elmer Jackson and Issac McGhie in downtown Duluth for a crime they didn’t commit.

Instagram 19 likes, 0 comments - tallmiri on June 8, 2020: "Painting today, so stop by Cjmm!". instagram.com Instagram 43 likes, 2 comments - tallmiri on June 7, 2020: "Sketched these out in a more stenciled fashion for folks to add to / color / modify, add messages, etc. for tomorrow's community painting session at CJMM for BIPOC folks.Hoping for youth to find the space useful". instagram.com

Instagram 141 likes, 9 comments - tallmiri on June 8, 2020: "I could not have even planned for how well today went... Sooo humbled to have gotten the chance to share this process with folks and to have had people as young as probably 3 and old as probably 70 come out and work together to bring these images to life. Shoutout to @delstarr for his fist / flag design on the Floyd mural and idea of adding names to the empty spaces. Shoutout to @ch_artbych (Carla Hamilton) for helping get these prepped so perfectly. Also to the folks who spent alll day adding flowers and the smallest details to these images, the fella who added #colinkaepernick.... Miigwetch! Also to @dansancreatives (@pennyfinewine @seyistories / @agoodynight team) and @cjmmduluth for believing this was and allowing me to share in this space. Also Laurel for the plywood delivery and donation, @throughdesignllc for showing up and helping figure out how to prep / secure these to the wall, and @3rdstreetbakery for the cookies. Thanks to everyone who came together in the fashion of social distancing to commemorate #GeorgeFloyd, #BreonnaTaylor, #BlackLivesMatter... Clayton, Jackson, and McGhie.... To share in prayer and in power through art and film and poetry....". instagram.com