Munson celebrates completion of community mural on Genesee Street Studio
Utica, N.Y. — To mark the completion of muralist Jared Diaz’s (they/he, Pratt Munson ’14) work on the “Gathering in the Name of: One World Gathering” mural at Munson’s Genesee Street Studio, 324 Genesee St., Munson held an unveiling celebration today, Wednesday, July 16, at the Studio with those who had a hand in its creation.
President of Munson Anna D’Ambrosio commented, “It has been a tremendous and meaningful experience working with Pratt Munson alum Jared Diaz whose exceptional talents are parallel to his community mindedness and sensitivity to the world around us. This project is a true community collaboration that reflects the city of Utica and Munson’s neighborhood in particular.”
To create this mural, Diaz worked directly with community members through information sessions, workshops, classroom visits, photoshoots, and presentations to share the proposal and gain knowledge on the city’s history and culture. Through these interactions, community members were able to contribute their opinions, art, and likenesses for inspiration or inclusion in the mural.
Diaz, a second-generation Dominican artist, born and based in New York City, has a visual art practice that has focused on figuration and portraiture for over 15 years. Within a year of earning their BFA, they began managing facilities at one of the largest hand-painted billboard companies in America. In their sign-painting career, Diaz contributed to the management and painting execution of more than 2,000 large-scale murals.
Diaz is also the founder of nonprofit Open Air Projects, which promotes cultural equity through mural art. By March 2021, Diaz launched the Open Air Archive, which aims to preserve history normally located in the niche view of local archives and promote them on the stage of public art. After nine months of planning, community dialogues and execution, the Open Air Archive manifested through the 1,500-square-foot mural-monument, HENRIETTA, located on the corner of 5th Ave. and Muhammad Ali Blvd. in Louisville, KY.
Muralist Jared Diaz '14 with children from Midtown Utica Community Center that participated in the mural's creation.
For media inquiries or more information, please contact Katie Voce, communications manager, at 315-797-0000 ext. 2147 or via email at kvoce@munson.art. Munson is at 310 Genesee St. in Utica. For more information, visit munson.art.
About Munson
Munson is an internationally recognized fine arts organization in Utica, serving diverse audiences through the renowned Munson Museum of Art, live performances and events, community arts classes, and Pratt Munson College of Art and Design, the upstate extension campus of the prestigious Pratt Institute.
