New Native American Mural will go up in Lander, Wyoming

Two female Native Americans are collaborating to create a mural for the Lander Bake Shop.

Their names are Collen Friday (North Arapaho) and Talissa Abeyta (East Shoshone).
They will be assisted by Adrienne Vetter.
The project is being coordinated by The Bossert Collective, a Lander nonprofit organization whose mission is to inspire community connectedness and promote cultural understanding and appreciation through public art.

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"The artists have created one cohesive image which resembles ledger art, a popular form of Native American art where contemporary images are rendered on top of historic ledger paper. The imagery draws from traditional iconography and contemporary motifs from both tribes including buffalo, geometric symbols, and Fireweed."
The LOR Foundation, Wyoming Humanities Council, Wyoming Arts Council, Lander LIFT, Fremont County MOVE, Wyoming Community Foundation, and Anne and Kevin McGowan are all funders, according to a prepared statement from Stacy Stebner, the executive director at the Lander Art Center.
There will be an opening reception for the mural project which will feature Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho drummers and dancers, a community meal, and speaker including Jordan Dresser (North Arapaho Tribal Council) and Dr. Amanda LeClaire (East Shoshone scholar) on Friday, August 19, at 5:30 p.m.

According to the "County 10" Colleen Friday was the recipient of the Wyoming Arts Council's inaugural Native Art Fellowship last year.

"She traces her first artistic influences to her mom and older sisters' beadwork, and the intense discipline of sorting and stitching tiny beads during evening hours grouped around a table and the laughter of Native women."

The other artist, Talissa Abeyta is quoted on the Wyoming Arts Council saying, "I was raised on the Wind River Indian Reservation located in Wyoming. My native heritage is the inspiration for my work...

I am a compassionate optimist who is inspired by love, heritage, and life. I feel blessed to have this present day experience of being a Native American woman. My art allows me to have a voice and freedom to express my thoughts and emotions without restraint. The way I feel I can best represent the love I have for my heritage and people is by creating art that depicts Native Americans in beauty, grace, resilience, and strength. Of course all the while paying my respects to their individual expression between and within Native American communities. There is so much diversity in culture between tribes and I find their individual uniqueness beautiful. It is my hope to make it obvious both our humanity and divinity. I aspire to reconcile, heal and enlighten through my artwork."