Albuquerque probably has more murals by Indigenous artists than any other city in the country. My presentation will share a range of murals, from the historic Maisel Trading Post paintings of 1939 and the Sunport murals of 1945 by Pop Chalee to the diverse works at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center and the many contemporary murals found all over town. Some are well-known landmarks, while others are more hidden, either indoors or in less-traveled locations. Their content captures many personal stories, tribal traditions, and the artists’ efforts to balance their ancient cultures with their contemporary lives. I am sharing as an outsider, a recent transplant to New Mexico, and am no way pretending to be an expert, but rather I see myself as on a learning journey, believing these works deserve to be seen as widely as possible.
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Robin Dunitz was born and raised in the Los Angeles area. She graduated from UC Berkeley in 1977 with a degree in History. She began documenting murals in LA after visiting Mexico City in 1983 and being inspired by the famous mural masterpieces found there.
In 1992 she self-published a guide book to Los Angeles area murals, and soon after that began organizing mural tours with the Mural Conservancy of LA. For the next 10 years, she did monthly public tours to different neighborhoods, usually in collaboration with a local artist. During this time she also co-wrote two more books on murals with James Prigoff, a fellow passionate mural photographer.
Walls of Heritage, Walls of Pride: African American Murals was published in 1998 by Pomegranate Communications. With a grant from the California Council for the Humanities, Robin and Jim created an exhibit based on that book. From 2001-2010 the exhibit traveled to 7 venues around the country, including the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Museum.
From 2010 until 2021 Robin was retired from her mural career after adopting her 1 ½ year-old granddaughter. However, in 2021, they moved to Albuquerque. She discovered an exciting collection of public art almost everywhere she looked. She was especially fascinated by the many murals by Indigenous artists, something she had only rarely seen elsewhere. Robin soon began photographing painted walls, traveling throughout the state as she learned more about the artists and the whereabouts of their work. She also found herself drawn to their respectful perspective on the natural world in contrast to the dominant American practice of extraction and pollution. Our climate crisis demands that we all give Mother Earth the love she deserves.
In order to share the beautiful and meaningful murals she was discovering, Robin decided to self publish first one and then another postcard book showcasing New Mexico’s Indigenous murals. She especially wanted non-Natives to be exposed to the murals’ beauty and messages. She also hopes Natives will feel a sense of pride, after often being portrayed as savages or no longer present in major media. All her proceeds as publisher are being donated to Indigenous non-profits. So far that has amounted to more than $10,000.
She recognizes that she is no expert in Indigenous history, cultures, or art. She share these images with you today merely as someone who believes that Art can change lives, and murals are one of the most accessible art forms reaching out broadly to us all.
