Murals as Resistance

Abstract

In this article, I discuss my role as an ethnographer and content creator for the Mosaic Atlas Project in collaboration with San José State University’s Department of Anthropology and the nonprofit organization Mosaic America located in San José. The research goal of this project is to develop a digital ArcGIS Interactive Atlas that highlights culturally diverse artist communities in the Bay Area. My research focuses on mural artists in San José. I explore the connections between visual storytelling and cultural self-expression, place-based belonging, and the production of social change. I interviewed San José mural artists, producers, and advocates to develop two distinct ArcGIS StoryMaps discussing murals as social justice.

PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY

The San Francisco Bay Area is home to almost 200 distinct cultural communities. Mosaic America created the Mosaic Atlas to bridge vibrant cultural communities, highlight their stories and their associated hubs, and acknowledge their creative contributions to the region. In this article, I describe my project as a co-producer of the digital atlas, focusing specifically on the stories and experiences of mural artists in San José.

Keywords:

• Place
• identity
• belonging

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The Mosaic Atlas is a project of Mosaic America, developed with support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. San José State University’s Research Foundation managed these funds for university researchers. The Wallace Foundation’s Field Studies by Arts Service Organizations Rooted in Communities of Color grant provided funding to expand the project. The university’s Tower Foundation manages those funds.

Notes on contributors

Kiley Stokes

Kiley Stokes graduated with a Master of Arts in Applied Anthropology from San José State University. As an Applied Anthropologist, Kiley is interested in topics such as belonging, affect, and collective memory. Kiley’s previous research engaged topics related to identity, spaces of belonging, and housing displacement. Her graduate project focused on mural arts as resistance in San José. She completed it in partnership with the local nonprofit organization, Mosaic America.