We Rise Mural
We Rise Mural
Painted: November 2021
Installed: January 2022
Location: Lane Community College - Mary Spilde Center
This 12’x16’ vibrant mural was created by Rachel Wolfe Goldsmith in response to the We Rise Committee goals of inspiring beauty, hope, change, unity and integrity. The We Rise Committee was formed to provide leadership opportunities for Black youth in Eugene to directly impact their City’s downtown cultural landscape and the current City narrative around Black youth culture.
Lane Community College provided a location for Rachel Wolfe Goldsmith to paint the mural panels, while their students were able to see the artist’s process. A Lane Community College facilities crew installed the artwork on their facility at Mary Spilde Center Downtown.
Background
We Rise is a program first offered in 2019 that leverages art, performance and creative expression to bring young people of color together in downtown Eugene. WE RISE shifted in 2020 because of COVID-19 restrictions and brought back together Black and African American youth to form a downtown artist selection committee to create a mural to respond to the current social justice movement.
The committee selected Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith, a Bay Area muralist who was raised in Eugene. Wolfe-Goldsmith's work will highlight the presence and impact of Black and African American youth in Eugene.
Special thanks to the Community Selection Committee:
Bishop Loury
Keyshawn Nauden
Sitota Tofte
Carlos Rasmussen
Project Coordinators Kevin Summerfield and Tara Burke
Brought to you in partnership with City of Eugene Cultural Services and Lane Community College.
Selected Artist
Artist Bio
Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith is a Muralist, Painter, and Creative Director based out of Oakland California. Adopted and of Nigerian, Jewish and European heritage her perspective is diverse and unique. With a desire to stay on the move and get real world experience, she sought education in the form of travel, mentorship, co-working situations and relationship building. She is interested in shaping culture through large scale imagery. Her compositions are intuitive and often seeks to reflect the culture, moments and dreams that shape her communities. Her mural practice centers on creating empowering representations of BIPOC individuals while creating learning and economic opportunity for emerging artists. She works between the street and studio, using mediums from oil paint to aerosol. She has produced gallery work and murals across the US, Costa Rica and Australia.
For more information visit rachelwolfegoldsmith.com/about