New mural installed on Mary Splide Center in downtown Eugene

The art piece by Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith was a collaboration with a local committee to provide leadership opportunities for Black youth in Eugene

There is more fresh art gracing the side of a building in downtown Eugene.

A partnership between the City of Eugene Cultural Services division and Lane Community College brought Oakland, Calif. artist Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith to paint a vibrant 12' x 16' mural that would adorn the side of the Mary Splide Center, LCC's downtown campus building.

The partnership was in response to a committee that was created in 2019 called We Rise, a program that aimed to leverage 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 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 Wolfe-Goldsmith, a Bay Area muralist who was raised in Eugene. Wolfe-Goldsmith's work highlights the presence and impact of Black and African American youth in Eugene. The committee's goals were for a mural that would inspire 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 in November 2021. LCC students were able to see the artist's process during the two weeks. A Lane Community College facilities crew installed the artwork at the Mary Splide Center this week.

Special thanks to the Community Selection Committee:

• Bishop Loury
• Keyshawn Nauden
• Sitota Tofte
• Carlos Rasmussen
• Project Coordinators Kevin Summerfield and Tara Burke

Wolfe-Goldsmith is a muralist, painter and creative director based out of Oakland, Calif. 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 U.S., Costa Rica and Australia.

For more information visit rachelwolfegoldsmith.com/about or eugene-or.gov/werise.

[Photo attached. Please credit City of Eugene Cultural Services]

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