Local Artists Selected to Paint Community Mural Inspired by Climate Leadership

Source: Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara

The Arts Fund, Community Environmental Council, Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara, Paseo Nuevo, and Santa Barbara BCycle are delighted to announce that artists Adriana Arriaga and Claudia Borfiga have been selected from an online Call For Entries to paint the 2021 Earth Day Mural. The Call For Entries prompted Santa Barbara County artists to respond to this year’s Earth Day Festival theme: Climate Leadership. The mural by Arriaga and Borfiga, entitled Nurture our Mother, is a celebration of the power of the Earth and the many magical things within it that play vital roles in our ecosystem.

A committee, comprised of members from each program partner, in addition to Community Representatives Maria Rendón and Arturo Heredia Soto, selected Nurture our Mother to appear on the Paseo Nuevo Arts Terrace Parking Deck, on the exterior wall of the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara. Chosen from over 27 submissions the artist duo will begin painting their mural on Monday, April 19, with the help of community volunteers. The final mural will be revealed on the last day of the virtual Earth Day Festival, April 24.

For more information please visit: www.mcasantabarbara.org/earth-day-mural

About the Mural

The mural, Nurture our Mother, is a celebration of the power of the Earth and the many magical things within it that play vital roles in our ecosystem. As individuals, we must recognize that every living thing has an important role in our community; and in order to build a strong relationship with one another, we must see ourselves in each other, pass down knowledge, and imagine what a better future can look like so we can create it for the next generation. But we cannot do it alone, climate leaders, in business, youth and community, will be integral to the survival of our planet, and we hope our mural will inspire people to become the leaders they can be.

About the Artists

Adriana Arriaga, who goes by the alias adriana la artista, is a Xicana designer from the 805 that creates bold, provocative and impactful illustrations. Arriaga’s work reflects her culture, community, and personal experiences. She describes herself as a Contemporary Xicana Designer, where she combines practices from the Chicano Movement of the 60’s with present day applications to create and share her work. Her work consists of large scale illustrations made up of copy paper and wheat paste. She received a B.A. in Art/Design Studies and a Minor in Chicano Studies from San Jose State University in 2017. She then received her Master of Fine Arts at the University of California, Davis in Design in 2019. Arriaga has been featured in more than 20 exhibitions, has hosted workshops and art pop-ups, and was featured on the cover of the Santa Barbara Independent in September 2020.

Website: adrianaarriaga.com Instagram:@adrianalaartista

Claudia Borfiga is a British visual artist, currently based in California, primarily working with screen printing. She’s compelled to communicate and amplify the sensations she feels when exploring the wonders of the natural world. As a teaching artist, Claudia uses her screen print workshops as a wide-ranging platform to foster community and for the simple joy of getting other peoples hands messy. In Spring 2018, she initiated a group called Print Power to host grant-funded workshops as a means to explore trauma. Often inspired by plants and natural structures that make up unique environments; she simplifies their complexities to shape, pattern, and color. In celebrating the treasures found in natural environments, she hopes we are able to foster a deeper appreciation for them. Most recently, her work was exhibited at Sullivan Goss, in a three-women show called ‘Pattern Recognition’.

Website: claudiaborfiga.com Instagram: @claudia_borfiga