Utica, N.Y. — Muralist Jared Diaz (they/he, Pratt Munson ’14) began earlier this month on the mural to be painted on the Genesee Street Studio, 324 Genesee St., on Munson’s campus, inspired by the “One World Garden” theme. Diaz will work alongside three muralists—Demetrius Felder, Juan Diaz, and Daniel Levin—throughout October, with work expected to be completed by Oct. 30. The public is welcome to visit campus and watch as work on the mural progresses.
In the months leading up to work commencing, Diaz worked directly with community members through information sessions, workshops, classroom visits, photoshoots, and presentations to share the proposal and gain knowledge on the city’s history and culture. Through these interactions, community members were able to contribute their opinions, art, and likenesses for inspiration or inclusion in the mural.
President of Munson Anna D’Ambrosio commented, “It has been a tremendous and meaningful experience working with Pratt Munson alum Jared Diaz whose exceptional talents are parallel to his community mindedness and sensitivity to the world around us. This project is a true community collaboration that reflects the city of Utica and Munson’s neighborhood in particular.”
Diaz is a second-generation Dominican artist, born and based in New York City, who has a visual art practice that has focused on figuration and portraiture for over 15 years. Within a year of earning their BFA, they began managing facilities at one of the largest hand-painted billboard companies in America. In their sign-painting career, Diaz contributed to the management and painting execution of more than 2,000 large-scale murals.
Diaz is also the founder of nonprofit Open Air Projects, which promotes cultural equity through mural art. By March 2021, Diaz launched the Open Air Archive, which aims to preserve history normally located in the niche view of local archives and promote them on the stage of public art. After nine months of planning, community dialogues and execution, the Open Air Archive manifested through the 1,500-square-foot mural-monument, HENRIETTA, located on the corner of 5th Ave. and Muhammad Ali Blvd. in Louisville, KY.
The mural is made possible by Munson and Rust2Green Utica, a community-based nonprofit focused on placemaking projects.
