Sept. 29, 2020
MILWAUKEE — Marquette University has announced the artist and design for a new mural to be installed on campus celebrating diversity and racial equity. Artist Mauricio Ramirez will bring his design, “Our Roots Say That We’re Sisters,” to the north-facing façade of the Varsity Theatre/Holthusen Hall building in October.
“We have been extremely pleased with the reception of this project since it was announced, as the participation by the campus community has been tremendous,” said Dr. William Welburn, vice president for inclusive excellence. “This mural will serve as a starting point for a program which will bring in a diverse range of artists to contribute to Marquette’s physical campus environment. Mr. Ramirez’s concept, as was the case with each of the proposals we received, will beautifully showcase the diversity, richness and complexity of our community and reflect our current cultural moment.”
Ramirez’s proposal features two opposite-facing women of color on a field of flowers in his signature geometric style. The design was one of three proposals submitted for a campus wide vote of students, faculty and staff. The artist recently participated in three virtual community listening sessions and will incorporate feedback into his final design.
“This project could not have gotten to this point without the hard work of our dedicated Mural Committee, which was aided by tremendous engagement from students on the committee and those who voiced their opinions for an impactful addition to the campus’ physical space,” said Haggerty Museum of Art Director and Mural Committee member Susan Longhenry,“I want to congratulate Mauricio Ramirez on his winning design. He was able to capture the spirit of the project with a design that spoke to our community. Mauricio has established a reputation throughout the city for vibrant and poignant works, which bring out the beauty and eloquence of our diverse population.”
Ramirez was an artist-in-residence for the Haggerty Museum of Art’s 2018 UnGala: Street Party fundraising event and has several notable murals on display throughout the city of Milwaukee. His works in Milwaukee include “Heart & Sol” at 728 N. Lovell St. near the Marquette campus, “Frontline Heroes” at 600 W. Lincoln Ave. and an untitled installation on the wall of the Sixteenth Street Community Health Center at 1032 S. Cesar E. Chavez Dr.
Ramirez’s work is also featured across the country with commercial and community works on display in the cities of Chicago, Baltimore, and Albuquerque, New Mexico, among others.
A Mural Committee comprised of representatives from the Marquette University Student Government, the Executive Leadership Team, Haggerty Museum of Art Student Advisory Committee, Black Student Council, Educational Opportunity Program, Cultural Audit sub-group of Marquette’s Equity and Inclusion Committee, the Haggerty Museum of Art, and University Advancement invited seven local Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) male and female artists to submit proposals. After careful review, three proposals were chosen and nearly 1,400 members of the Marquette community voted between Sept. 7-11. “Our Roots Say That We’re Sisters” received 63% of the votes.
Kevin is the associate director for university communication in the Office of University Relations. Contact Kevin at (414) 288-4745 or kevin.m.conway@marquette.edu.
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