Brad Daugs considers himself "American Primitive", for having adopted…

Brad Daugs considers himself “American Primitive”, for having adopted native art in an effort to make creative works that would “pop.” His drawing of a turtle definitely pops and seems fitting as Daugs shared that he is a member of the Turtle Clan. Daugs states, “I am a lifelong resident of Manitowoc, WI and a registered member of the Oneida Tribe, federally recognized as First Nations Iroquois band, one of the five founding nations of this land. The Oneida fought for the revolutionaries during the war of independence. The Oneida brought corn to General George Washington and his starving troops, teaching them how to cook and eat it. My great great grandfather, Cornelius Hill, was the last hereditary Oneida chief, and its first Christian minister, the church he and his followers built still stands on the Oneida Reservation today.” Sonia Vasquez is an artist from Manitowoc, Wisconsin. She attended the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee earning her bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts – Painting and Drawing and has since returned to her hometown. With her work, Vasquez intends to amplify people and their stories not historically found in traditional portraiture, museums, and galleries. In creating the work for the wall Vasquez shares, “I was thinking about my own experiences being half Mexican and half white. I grew up primarily within a white dominated city and white culture. I wanted to take the things that were significant to me connecting with Mexican culture.” The woman figure is a representation of Vasquez’s grandmother as a young woman, the man is dedicated to her father, who had migrated to the US with his mother at a young age. The roses are a common flower used in Mexican festivals, general decor, and for religious purposes. The prickly pear plant is significant in Mexico and used for many different purposes. The fruit was and still is a household staple for Vasquez’s family. Vasquez goes on to share about her father, “He’s always been the embodiment of the hard working and passionate immigrant in America. The mountains and goats behind him represent where he lived, what he did in Mexico, and the laborious task it is to migrate and live successfully in the US.” Bryana Thomas-Butler came to the area to study art at Silver Lake College. Thomas-Butler has since returned to her hometown in Minneapolis. She describes herself as an “Afro-Artist” who uses her art “as a voice that speaks on behalf of the Black community and shows the beauty within it.” She shares that, “Through this revolution I was trying to figure out how to contribute in the best way I feel comfortable and what better way then to pick up a paint brush and do what I do best. As a Black woman it’s hard to be heard so I let my art speak for me.” Thomas-Butler’s contribution to the mural is a young black girl jumping for joy. She modeled the image after her sister. She is wearing a dashiki, which is a colorful, traditional garment worn by people in West Africa. “I wanted to showcase the emotion and beauty in the brown girl’s soul and show off how she is delicate and strong all in one with the help of the Lord himself.” Kaye Solander also came to the Manitowoc area in order to study at Silver Lake College. Solander is originally from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, she graduated with degrees in Studio Art and Theology in 2019 and continued on in Manitowoc. Recently she has found interest exploring stylistic qualities and colors that are present in Byzantine artwork as well as collage art inspired by newspaper headlines and modern social justice issues. Solander contributed a peace lily to the mural design. She shares that, “Peace lilies are associated with the rebirth of the soul and transcending beyond. Understanding various cultures and striving for unity are direct results of transcending beyond how we see the world and being reborn to have a broader view of the world around us.” Tisha Hang contributed works celebrating her Hmong ethnicity. She says, “My parents are Hmong immigrants who came here when they were around 19 years old and had me and my 3 younger siblings all here in Manitowoc. My parents are now citizens and have adapted to life in America well with minor problems. Overall, they are happy and satisfied with their life in America/Manitowoc.” Hang’s works include traditional Hmong attire. She says, “Hmong people are well known for their sewing skills and they use it for making clothes and to record history and events with motifs and symbols.” She also includes a farmer with a traditional basket, representing the Hmong culture’s strong background and history in agriculture. The Art Slam 2020 CommUNITY Mural is complete! This project is testament that beautiful things can happen when we work together! Designing & painting with Don Krumpos & David Carpenter. Thank you contributing artists: Kaye Solander, Brad Daugs, Bryana Thomas-butler, Sonia Vasquez, Ahsit Gnah. Thank you sponsors! City of Manitowoc, Novak’s Service Center, The Wharf Manitowoc, Dr Bob Cornwell, CENTURY 21 Aspire Group, Lundberg & Associates Inc, American Family Insurance, Lakeside Foods, Hallman Lindsay Paints, The Rahr-West, The Fitness Store, Jill Iverson & James Iverson, Cheryl Mahowald & Mark Mahowald, Betsy & Tom Kocourek, Schwartz Mfg.