Laramie High School Mural Project
LHSMP
2021 Wyoming Art Fellowship Award: Honorable Mention
Where does the water come from that flows into our homes, schools and businesses?
Directed by Rebecca Watson and Paul Taylor, the LHS Mural Project is a STEAM, art, science and indigenous wisdom initiative
to celebrate and articulate Laramie and Albany County's unique “Water Story". In particular we honor our landscape and geology
that gifts our community with pristine water.
As of 2021, we have produced 4 beautiful community murals, designed by LHS art students
in collaboration with scientists, teachers, artists and students. Once designed and base coated the murals are then texture painted by the community, LHS students, UW Shepard Symposium participants, and the general public.
In our murals the snake symbol represents the Aboriginal Rainbow Serpent who brought water to the world and
is both male and female. The Rainbow colors and dots honor diversity and inclusion.
The dots represent the raindrops and all of life, plants, birds, animals, insects, people,
that walk on the Mother Earth and are made of and from the water that falls from the Father Sky.
Paul Taylor is mentored by Aboriginal Elder Yidumduma Bill Harney and acts as the Artistic Director.
The mural process is inspired by Australian Aboriginal culture and wisdom of "Caring for Country”.
The long-term foundation of a vital, healthy, just, prosperous and surviving community is a custodial caring relationship with your land and your water. Indigenous wisdom and academic research have shown localized environmental education
offers a scaffolding of story relationships to our landscape enhancing healthy human relationships, a sense of security
and mental health.
Further, access to clean, safe, drinking water is a basic human right, and a foundation of environmental and social justice.
How can we care for our water, if we don't know where it comes from?
Snowy Range Rainbow 2018
Gem City Rainbow 2019
Rainbow Pathways 2020
Pilot Hill Rainbow 2021
MURAL PRINTS AVAILABLE
Snowy Range Rainbow
Snowy Range Rainbow, Laramie High School Mural Project. Designed by Sierra Penrod, Sara Eliason & Aeslin Mattimore with
Rebecca Watson & Shelly Miller. Painted by UW Shepard Symposium participants 2018. Artistic Director: Paul Taylor.
April 2018, 15' x 52"
Gem City Rainbow
Gem City Rainbow. Laramie High School Mural Project. Designed by Sam Robertson with Parker Jackson, Rebecca Watson,
Shelly Miller & LHS art students. Science Consultants: Chris Moody and Bern Hinckley, Artistic Director: Paul Taylor.
Painted by 2019 Shepard Symposium on Social Justice participants.
April 2019. 12' x 52"
Rainbow Pathways
Rainbow Pathways. Laramie High School Mural Project. Designed by Mitchell Gray with Rebecca Watson, Justin Deegan
& LHS art students. Science Consultant: Chris Moody; Artistic Director: Paul Taylor.
Painted by our Laramie community at ArtConnect Gallery over the month of July as part of their Sacred Water art show.
July 2020. 10' x 52''.
Pilot Hill Rainbow
Pilot Hill Rainbow, Laramie High School Mural Project, design by Madie Sprinkle with Justin Deegan, Rebecca Watson, Erin Klauk
& LHS art students. Science Consultant: Chris Moody. Artistic Director: Paul Taylor.
May 2021. 10' x 52"
MURAL PRINTS AVAILABLE
Proceeds from the sale of these prints goes to the non-profit YDP Dreaming Project directed by Paul Taylor,
dedicated to sharing Indigenous culture and education, in particular water education.
Royalties are paid to Aboriginal Elder Yidumduma Bill Harney and his Wardaman people.
www.ydproject.com
Paul Taylor Rebecca Watson Chris Moody
Erin Klauk Justin Deegan Shelly Miller
