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    • Before the Americas Project

      Emotion: Recorded in an Abandoned Bridge in China

      November 1, 2018

      Before the Americas Project

      Playing With Perspective: A Mural Time Lapse

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      Before the Americas Project

      Recording “Be”: Collaboration Across Five Countries

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Art We There Yet
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    • MURALS

      Community Art in Elko, Nevada

      January 8, 2021

      MURALS

      A Community Mural in Elko, Nevada

      December 27, 2020

      MURALS

      Classroom Mural at Driggs Elementary School, Idaho

      December 18, 2020

      MURALS

      Rise Coffee House Community Mural in Driggs, Idaho

      December 8, 2020

      MURALS

      Teton Arts Mural in Driggs, Idaho

      October 21, 2020

  • MUSIC
    • MUSIC

      Bonneville Salt Flats | Songs from the Road

      February 10, 2021

      MUSIC

      Matamoros Migrant Camp | Songs from the Road

      June 8, 2020

      MUSIC

      Guntersville Factory | Songs from the Road

      June 1, 2020

      MUSIC

      Arnold Montgomery | Improvisation

      April 10, 2020

      MUSIC

      Jess Langer & Cora Rose | A Song…

      April 7, 2020

  • WORKSHOPS
    • WORKSHOPS

      Student Artwork Gallery

      May 7, 2020

      WORKSHOPS

      Music Workshop | Blue Ridge Parkway

      March 24, 2020

      WORKSHOPS

      Art Workshop | Tent City on the US-Mexico…

      March 16, 2020

      WORKSHOPS

      Songwriting Workshop | The Art Factory

      February 8, 2020

      WORKSHOPS

      Art Workshop | Gadsden, Alabama

      December 12, 2019

  • FILM
    • FILM

      New Orleans from the Streets | Experimental Film

      May 13, 2020

      FILM

      The Himalayas | A Time Lapse Film

      March 1, 2018

  • PHOTOGRAPHY
  • BEFORE THE AMERICAS
    • Before the Americas Project

      Emotion: Recorded in an Abandoned Bridge in China

      November 1, 2018

      Before the Americas Project

      Playing With Perspective: A Mural Time Lapse

      June 10, 2018

      Before the Americas Project

      Recording “Be”: Collaboration Across Five Countries

      May 27, 2018

      Before the Americas Project

      Paso A Paso: Sounds of the Himalayas

      May 7, 2018

      Before the Americas Project

      Sounds of China & Nepal

      March 14, 2018

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MURALS

Rise Coffee House Community Mural in Driggs, Idaho

by Art We There Yet? December 8, 2020
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The Community Mural at Rise Coffee House

This was a really special project to be a part of.

The first time José and I headed to Rise Coffee House, it was a bright Sunday in high summer. Per COVID safety, the inside was closed but the backyard had well-distanced seating. The space is really quite beautiful. A homely backyard, bright and cheerful with a stone pathway, trees, and seasonal flowers. As we sat in our loungers and sipped our coffee, we were both drawn immediately to the cinderblock wall enclosing the space.

“Oooooooooh babe,” I remember saying, “What a wall this would be for a mural!”

There’s a fun side-effect to being mural artists. Every wall becomes a canvas, and they jump out at you at every turn. This wall really jumped out at us.

“Absolutely,” José replied, “Can you imagine a mountain scene, or some beautiful graphics stretching across and even wrapping around the other side?”

We fantasized a bit more about all the interesting ways the wall could be brought to life. Then we returned to our coffee and avocado toast (amazing by the way).

A week later, we were about to leave Driggs when our phones dinged with a message from Kisa, the owner and multitasker extraordinaire of Rise Coffee. “If you’re ever back in town, we’d love to do a mural!” She wrote. With the border to Canada still closed and all our plans thrown to the wind, we were in no hurry to leave the Teton Valley. I mean, who would be? The Teton Valley is a wholly unique and truly special corner of the world. And how cool is it that we had just been dreaming about painting that wall?

So a few days later we were chatting with Kisa about ideas. Rise is not just a coffee spot in Driggs. It is a place for connection and community within the Teton Valley. In keeping with this theme, we talked about making the mural a valuable art experience for students in the community. The Teton Arts Council jumped aboard to organize this opportunity for children in the area. And boom just like that, we had a community mural plan in action!

The mural went up fast, with students of all ages coming to splash color and bring the wall to life. Many volunteers from the community also came out to help. We wore masks and stayed 6 feet apart, something that wasn’t too difficult to manage given the size of the wall! It was a beautiful piece of teamwork that uplifted everyone’s spirits.

The Value of Community Murals

Experiences and spaces like this are invaluable. Americans for the Arts says it well:

Public art is a distinguishing part of our public history and our evolving culture. It reflects and reveals our society, adds meaning to our cities and uniqueness to our communities. Public art humanizes the built
environment and invigorates public spaces.

Americans for the Arts

We are so grateful to once again have had the privilege of being part of a project like this. The Driggs community so kindly welcomed us in, even though our visit was unexpected by all parties involved! Now that the summer is gone and winter has set in, the mural’s colors must be dazzling in contrast to the white snow cover.

We hope your path passes through Driggs. When it does, may you have the opportunity to enjoy a cup of coffee underneath bright summer sunshine, with a colorful mountain scene before you, and the sound of friendly chatter all around.

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About The Project

About The Project

Art We There Yet is a project to create art and music inspired by the Americas, celebrating our shared humanity and giving back to communities along the way. Aboard a school bus converted into an art and recording studio, we are traveling 30,000 miles across 23 countries of North, Central, and South America.

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