Racial Equity Mural Archives

Public Outreach History

Racial Equity Art Workshops

The Redwood City Community had multiple opportunities for listening and input sessions throughout the process. Meetings were held over Zoom during the pandemic. 

Meeting Notes

June 16, 2021 Meeting Notes.

Below are screenshots from our collages. If you want to see the Miro board directly the link is here.

Artist Eligibility

• This call is open to all artists living in the Bay Area. Artists of color and BIPOC, women, gay/lesbian/transgender/non-binary, and members of historically marginalized groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

• Artists should be comfortable creating works that center on racial equity and social justice. 

• We seek submissions from both professional and emerging artists. 

This is a local search to find the most appropriate artist(s) with a preference towards Bay Area artist(s). With COVID-19 restrictions still in place, we want to keep artists and our communities safe.

Redwood City does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, color, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, economic status, or gender identity.

Evaluation Criteria

Depending on the number of artist submissions we receive, the task of the steering committee will be to narrow down the applicants based on the eligibility criteria listed above. Once narrowed down, the steering committee will share these artists in a community meeting to decide the final artist(s) to commission to create a proposal. 

Professional Artists Criteria

• Original artwork that exhibits a personal style (mission statement?)
• Professional credentials (as evidenced in the submitted materials)
• Artistic and/or artist teams excellence of past work  
• Experience with public art or large scale, permanent work
• Experience with site-specific artwork
• Ability to spend time in Redwood City for research and conceptualization
• Open to connecting with the community while painting 

Emerging Artists Criteria

• Exhibits a passion for their artwork 
• Local credentials (student work, local gallery work, school art shows, personal projects)
• Please include 2 instructor or mentor references from past or current projects with contact information and ask reference to include why you'd be a good fit for this racial equity project.
• Experience working with other artists a plus!

Artist Finalists

Selected Artist: Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith (see current page for mural rendering)

Runner-up: Lucia Gonzalez Ippolito

"My design for the Racial Equity mural is a conversation between teacher and student. The story begins chronologically through history as the middle school teacher educates a 7th grade boy about the Ohlone and important periods in Redwood City and moments in our country’s history that are uncomfortable or significant for people of color. There are also symbols and patterns to represent different cultural groups in the area. A transparent wave flows between him and the teacher and the book she gives him to show the sharing of knowledge. As he grows we see him become an educated activist and then a teacher passing the same knowledge down to a new 7th grade girl. At the end of the mural the three main characters look out on the future of Redwood City, I diverse futuristic equitable place of people working together. 

This design was created on my iPad with a mix of manual sketching, illustration, and collage. While it is not quite an accurate display of my artistic skills or style, I focused more on the story and concept, and it is usually how I format initial ideas for murals and my techniques come out more in the actual painting. During the mural itself I expect the concept to stay the same, but small aspects of design altering or adding more on as I am a very improvisational painter and influenced by my surroundings and the community."

1. The first wall will be for credits, acknowledgements and the title, with the beginning of the Redwood City creek which flows throughout the mural and native Ohlone patterning from traditional baskets. 

La primera pared es para los créditos, los reconocimientos y el título, con el comienzo del arroyo Redwood que fluye a lo largo del mural y los patrones tradicionales sobre las canastas de indígena Ohlone.

2. The second wall continues the water from the creek and pattering from the baskets, turning into Hoover middle school and a school bus to symbolize the field trips 7th graders take every year to learn about the city. The teacher talks to a group of students, pointing at a giant Ohlone basket off in the woods with a shellmound inside. The Black student and teacher share a transparent glowing stroke of color to symbolize the exchange of knowledge.

La segunda pared continúa con el agua del arroyo y los patrones de las canastas, convirtiéndose en la escuela secundaria Hoover y un autobús escolar para simbolizar las excursiones que los estudiantes de grado 7 realizan cada año para aprender sobre la ciudad. La maestra habla con un grupo de estudiantes y señala una canasta gigante de Ohlone en el bosque con un montículo de conchas adentro. Un estudiante particular y el maestro comparten un trazo de color transparente y brillante para simbolizar el intercambio de conocimientos.

3. The third wall is the Black 7th grader and his teacher continuing their conversation about Ohlone history. The giant basket continues into a forest background with a traditional hut, people dancing, and a coyote by the water. 

La tercera pared es el estudiante Africano-Americano de grado 7 y su maestra que continúan su conversación sobre la historia de Ohlone. La canasta gigante continúa en un bosque de fondo con una choza tradicional, gente bailando y un coyote junto al agua.

4. The fourth wall is the teacher pointing to the water where an Ohlone man sits in a traditional tule canoe, his reflection in the water is that of a Spanish Calvary to symbolize impending doom. The beach nearby is where some natives are catching salmon. In the distance is a slave ship. Wall 3 and 4 are separated by native Oak trees.

La cuarta pared es la maestra que señala el agua donde un hombre de Ohlone se sienta en una canoa de tule tradicional, su reflejo en el agua es el de un calvario español para simbolizar la muerte inminente. La playa cercana es donde algunos nativos pescan salmón. En la distancia hay un barco de esclavos. Las paredes 3 y 4 están separadas por robles nativos.

5. The fifth wall is the young student holding a book his teacher gave him; out of the pages an Ohlone man evolves into a Mestizo and then caballero to show how colonization changed the natives who survived. The background is an Ohlone hut by the creek, the Mission de Asis, and an image of the gold rush. Dona Maria Soledad de Arguello stands in front of a group of Mexican soldiers to symbolize the countries gained independence and to her left are cut down redwoods to reference the logging history in the area. 

La quinta pared es el joven estudiante que tiene un libro que le dio su maestra; de las páginas, un hombre de Ohlone se convierte en mestizo y luego en caballero para mostrar cómo la colonización cambió a los nativos que sobrevivieron. El fondo es una cabaña Ohlone junto al arroyo, la Misión de Asís y una imagen de la fiebre del oro. Doña María Soledad de Arguello se para frente a un grupo de soldados mexicanos para simbolizar cuando el país  obtuviera la independencia y, a su izquierda, hay árboles Redwood cortadas para hacer referencia a la historia de la tala en el área.

6. The sixth wall begins with a bald eagle, Mexican patterns emerge from his eye. Below are cowboys and cows to reference the vaquero period in Redwood City. A Chinese man sifts gold and pours water into the creek, which holds two Chinese shrimp fisherman. Chrysanthemum fields grow by the greenhouse of the Japanese Enomoto brothers, who made brought the flowers growth to the community. People in the 1920s await the train that grows blue tiles, which symbolize the arrival of Portuguese migrants to the land. 

La sexta pared comienza con un águila calva, patrones mexicanos emergen de su ojo. A continuación se muestran caballeros y vacas para hacer referencia al período vaquero en Redwood City. Un hombre Chino tamiza el oro y vierte agua en el arroyo, en el que se encuentran dos pescadores chinos de camarones. Campos de crisantemos crecen junto al invernadero de los hermanos japoneses Enomoto, quienes hicieron traer el crecimiento de las flores a la comunidad. La gente en la década de 1920 espera un tren en el que crecen los azulejos azules, que simbolizan la llegada de los inmigrantes portugueses a la tierra.

7. The last wall before the underpass has fans flying in the sky to symbolize the arrival of Spanish migrants. The teacher holds out her book whose pages fly up reading different minority groups rights and times in history. In front of her are women protesting for the right to vote and the women’s  clubhouse of Redwood City. Behind her are references to the shipping industry, such as tools and African masks to symbolize who mainly worked there, as well as Black men fighting for better wages. John J Walker’s portrait is besides them, a WWII veteran who’s home was burnt down by racists in the 1940s. 

La última pared antes del paso subterráneo tiene abanicos volando en el cielo para simbolizar la llegada de los inmigrantes españoles. La maestra tiene su libro cuyas páginas vuelan leyendo los derechos y épocas de la historia de diferentes grupos minoritarios. Frente a ella hay mujeres que protestan por el derecho al voto y la casa club de mujeres de Redwood City. Detrás de ella hay referencias a la industria naviera, como herramientas y máscaras africanas para simbolizar quién trabajaba principalmente allí, así como hombres negros que luchan por mejores salarios. Junto a ellos está el retrato de John J. Walker, un veterano de la Segunda Guerra Mundial cuya casa fue incendiada por racistas en la década de 1940.

8. For the underpass, the wall is of the student a little older now, reading a book with the 1960s emerging from the pages. Beginning with Latinos from the farm workers protests and Chicano movement, to protestors against the Vietnam war, and then the civil rights movement. It ends with police in riot gear about to be eaten by a great white shark. In the background are historic buildings of Redwood City. 

Para el paso subterráneo, la pared es del estudiante un poco mayor ahora, leyendo un libro con la década de 1960 emergiendo de las páginas. Comenzando con los latinos de las protestas de los trabajadores agrícolas y el movimiento chicano, hasta los manifestantes contra la guerra de Vietnam y luego el movimiento de derechos civiles. Termina con policías antidisturbios a punto de ser devorados por un gran tiburón blanco. En el fondo hay edificios históricos de Redwood City.

9. The first wall on the right after the underpass, is the same student now late high school or older, a young activist. He holds his book, knowledge coming from his mouth this time, and the current times behind him. Protests for Black Lives Matter and anti-Asian hate and more, in front of the main buildings of Redwood City. 

La primera pared a la derecha después del paso subterráneo es el mismo estudiante que ahora está en la secundaria o más mayor, pero es un joven activista. Sostiene su libro, el conocimiento saliendo de su boca esta vez, y los tiempos actuales detrás de él. Protestas por Black Lives Matter y anti-Asian hate y más, frente a los principales edificios de Redwood City.

10. The tenth wall is the young activist now working at central middle school, he talks to a young Latina 7th grader who holds her own book. They walk to the school bus next to the edge of Redwood City. Behind her is an image of the young activist teaching her class what he’s learned, in front of the public library, the transparent colors of knowledge show a giant Ohlone basket holding a shell mound. 

La décima pared es el joven activista que ahora trabaja en la escuela secundaria Central, habla con una joven latina de séptimo grado que tiene su propio libro. Caminan hasta el autobús escolar junto al borde de Redwood City. Detrás de ella hay una imagen de la joven activista enseñando a su clase lo que ha aprendido, frente a la biblioteca pública, los colores transparentes del conocimiento muestran una canasta gigante de Ohlone que tiene un montículo de conchas.

11. The eleventh wall shows different cultural festivals of Redwood City in front of important buildings. The girl holds out her book which releases alebrijes flying above the salsa festival, west African instruments flying above the Cumbe African diaspora dance group, and dragons flying above the Chinese latern festival. 

La undécima pared muestra diferentes festivales culturales de Redwood City frente a edificios importantes. La niña tiene su libro que libera alebrijes que vuelan sobre el festival de salsa, instrumentos de África occidental que vuelan sobre el grupo Cumbe de danza de la diáspora africana y dragones que vuelan sobre el festival de farolillos chinos.

12. The last wall is the future of Redwood City. The three main characters of the mural hold out their books and release knowledge onto the plaza where diverse groups of people embrace. New futuristic buildings with plants growing and flying cars in the sky are behind lots of wildlife. The teacher, activist and student are planting a tree together in front of the Redwood creek, that glows the transparent colors of knowledge that have flowed throughout the mural. 

La última pared es el futuro de Redwood City. Los tres personajes principales del mural tienen sus libros y liberan conocimientos en la plaza donde se abrazan diversos grupos de personas. Nuevos edificios futuristas con plantas que crecen y autos voladores en el cielo están detrás de mucha vida salvaje. La maestra, el activista y la estudiante están plantando juntos un árbol, frente al arroyo Redwood, que brilla con los colores transparentes de la sabiduría que ha fluido por todo el mural.