Sweetwater Rainbow
This “Caring for Country” painting is inspired by Australian Aboriginal culture and dot painting tradition and the stories of the Rainbow Snake, a major Spirit Ancestor who carved out the rivers and shaped the land throughout Australia.
Here Rainbow is represented by the beautiful Sweetwater River as it winds it’s way from Split Rock in the east, past Jeffery City to Sweetwater Junction in the west through the Sweetwater valley and the ranches of the Jeffery City School children; the Corbett Ranch of Colton and Dillon Citroen;
the Graham Ranch connected to Jeremiah, Debora and Sam Gullian;
the Myer, Thompson, Dockery Ranch of Laura and Riley Dockery.
The children painted symbols for Jeffery City where they attend school;
their family and individual ranch brands;
the black Oregon Trail with white dots for the Mormon Trail, red dots for the Pony Express, the yellow dots for the California Trail;
symbols for the famous Split Rock landmark, Three Crossings and the Sixth Crossing of the Mormon Trail.
The dots represents the life giving rain and all the living things that walk this beautiful land; the plants, birds, animals, insects, children and people.
This mural was painted by the Jeffery City K-5 school kids, and designed by Artist in Residence Paul Taylor and teacher Sherryl Gores. Special thanks for funding support from Wyoming Arts Council, Dannine Donaho and PALS of Lander, and Sherryl Gores and Jeffery City School.
This painting teaches us to care for our water, our land and each other.
