Art We There Yet
  • Home
  • MURALS
    • MURALS

      A Mural Celebrating Heritage

      January 21, 2023

      MURALS

      A Mural Celebrating the Sea

      December 19, 2022

      MURALS

      A Mural of Affirmations

      November 29, 2022

      MURALS

      A Mural Celebrating Mentorship

      August 21, 2022

      MURALS

      A Mural Celebrating Teamwork

      April 17, 2022

  • MUSIC
    • MUSIC

      The Story Behind “Roamer”

      February 27, 2023

      MUSIC

      The Story Behind “I Am The River”

      October 30, 2022

      MUSIC

      The Story Behind “Chan Chan”

      February 25, 2022

      MUSIC

      The Story Behind “Wanderer”

      January 31, 2022

      MUSIC

      The Story Behind “Here We Listen”

      January 30, 2022

  • WORKSHOPS
    • WORKSHOPS

      A Song Celebrating Friendship

      March 20, 2023

      WORKSHOPS

      A Song Celebrating Patience

      December 5, 2022

      WORKSHOPS

      A Mural Celebrating a Way of Life

      February 27, 2022

      WORKSHOPS

      A Song Celebrating Growth

      February 20, 2022

      WORKSHOPS

      A Song Celebrating Inner Strength

      February 6, 2022

  • FILM
    • FILM

      The North Shore of Lake Superior

      March 7, 2023

      FILM

      NOLA from the Streets | A Short Film

      May 13, 2020

      FILM

      The Himalaya | A Short Film

      March 1, 2018

  • PHOTOGRAPHY
    • People of the Americas
  • STORIES
    • STORIES

      Stranded

      February 19, 2023

      STORIES

      Paths Cross Again

      February 12, 2023

      STORIES

      A Challenging Moment

      February 5, 2023

      STORIES

      In Awe of Acadia

      January 29, 2023

      STORIES

      Mission Alaska Begins

      January 22, 2023

  • BEFORE THE AMERICAS
    • Before the Americas Project

      Our Story Before the Americas

      July 24, 2022

      Before the Americas Project

      The Story Behind “Emotion”

      November 1, 2018

      Before the Americas Project

      A Mural Celebrating Perspective

      June 10, 2018

      Before the Americas Project

      The Story Behind “Be”

      May 27, 2018

      Before the Americas Project

      The Story Behind “Paso A Paso”

      May 7, 2018

  • SKOOLIE GUIDES
  • ABOUT
    • The Project
    • The Bus
    • Our Story
    • Contact / Press
  • Store
    • AWTY Goodies
    • Fill The Tank
    • Prints from José
    • Music from Cora
  • SUPPORT
Art We There Yet
  • Home
  • MURALS
    • MURALS

      A Mural Celebrating Heritage

      January 21, 2023

      MURALS

      A Mural Celebrating the Sea

      December 19, 2022

      MURALS

      A Mural of Affirmations

      November 29, 2022

      MURALS

      A Mural Celebrating Mentorship

      August 21, 2022

      MURALS

      A Mural Celebrating Teamwork

      April 17, 2022

  • MUSIC
    • MUSIC

      The Story Behind “Roamer”

      February 27, 2023

      MUSIC

      The Story Behind “I Am The River”

      October 30, 2022

      MUSIC

      The Story Behind “Chan Chan”

      February 25, 2022

      MUSIC

      The Story Behind “Wanderer”

      January 31, 2022

      MUSIC

      The Story Behind “Here We Listen”

      January 30, 2022

  • WORKSHOPS
    • WORKSHOPS

      A Song Celebrating Friendship

      March 20, 2023

      WORKSHOPS

      A Song Celebrating Patience

      December 5, 2022

      WORKSHOPS

      A Mural Celebrating a Way of Life

      February 27, 2022

      WORKSHOPS

      A Song Celebrating Growth

      February 20, 2022

      WORKSHOPS

      A Song Celebrating Inner Strength

      February 6, 2022

  • FILM
    • FILM

      The North Shore of Lake Superior

      March 7, 2023

      FILM

      NOLA from the Streets | A Short Film

      May 13, 2020

      FILM

      The Himalaya | A Short Film

      March 1, 2018

  • PHOTOGRAPHY
    • People of the Americas
  • STORIES
    • STORIES

      Stranded

      February 19, 2023

      STORIES

      Paths Cross Again

      February 12, 2023

      STORIES

      A Challenging Moment

      February 5, 2023

      STORIES

      In Awe of Acadia

      January 29, 2023

      STORIES

      Mission Alaska Begins

      January 22, 2023

  • BEFORE THE AMERICAS
    • Before the Americas Project

      Our Story Before the Americas

      July 24, 2022

      Before the Americas Project

      The Story Behind “Emotion”

      November 1, 2018

      Before the Americas Project

      A Mural Celebrating Perspective

      June 10, 2018

      Before the Americas Project

      The Story Behind “Be”

      May 27, 2018

      Before the Americas Project

      The Story Behind “Paso A Paso”

      May 7, 2018

  • SKOOLIE GUIDES
  • ABOUT
    • The Project
    • The Bus
    • Our Story
    • Contact / Press
  • Store
    • AWTY Goodies
    • Fill The Tank
    • Prints from José
    • Music from Cora
MURALS

A Mural Celebrating the Mountains

by Art We There Yet? December 8, 2020
FacebookTwitterPinterest

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.


art-we-there-yet-skoolie-bus-travel

Did you know?

The AWTY Patreon Family is the beating heart behind the Art We There Yet project.

Patrons pitch in $1.50/mth to help cover project costs…

…And they get a mountain of goodies in return!

40+ unreleased demos from Cora
90+ photographs from Jose
Untold stories straight from Cora’s journals
Early access to all new videos & songs
Downloads of new Cora Rose albums
Credits in the final film and book

Get Access
Feature in Homepage Slider
FacebookTwitterPinterest

You may also like

A Mural Celebrating Heritage

A Mural Celebrating the Sea

A Mural of Affirmations

A Mural Celebrating Mentorship

A Mural Celebrating Teamwork

A Mural Celebrating the Great Outdoors

A Mural Celebrating a Way of Life

A Mural Celebrating the Sea

A Mural Celebrating Action

A Mural Celebrating the World

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.

Never Miss A New Story!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • Spotify
  • Press
  • Sponsors
  • WAYS TO SUPPORT
  • Contact

Art We There Yet 2020 - All Rights Reserved


Back To Top