A new mural will soon go up in the Garaman Tunnel underpass, created by JH High School students to celebrate the relationship between sister cities Jackson and Tlaxcala, Mexico. All are invited to the unveiling of the mural - titled Tlaxcala - on Friday, November 18, 2022 at 4pm. Enjoy cider and cookies in Garaman Park (rain or shine) and join the participating students and teacher Gabriel Lopez for an official ribbon cutting with Jackson’s Mayor Hailey Morton Levinson at 4:15pm. 

Thirty-five high school students contributed to the new mural project, as part of a Spanish Through Art class taught by Gabriel Lopez. In this upper-level Spanish language class, students develop their Spanish skills through learning about Mexican art and create a work of art at the end of every thematic unit. This fall students had the unique opportunity to collaborate on a giant mural for JH Community Pathways and JH Public Art, representing Jackson’s sister city Tlaxcala, Mexico. 

Over the last thirty years, many people from the Tlaxcala state have emigrated to Jackson and the surrounding region. The mural depicts the richness of Tlaxcala, which is located east of Mexico City at approximately 7,000 feet above sea level. Students studied the history of the region and selected elements to represent local plantlife, folk art and dance, significant Olmec-Xicalanca archaeological sites, historical buildings from the town of San Simeon, and two nearby volcanoes Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl. This mural - at 76 feet in length - was a large undertaking, and teacher Gabriel Lopez notes: “I knew it was going to be a challenge but I was more excited for my students to see that they are capable of accomplishing big things.” 

Participating Students:

Pamela Carrillo

Alejandro Chavez

Nicole Checker

Arielle d’Arge

Derek Diaz

Joseph DiMarco

Flynn Ellis

Joshua Finck Martinez

Jimena Hernandez Alonso

Yenerlin Iraheta

Owen Janssen

Gracen Rosenberg

Blanca Sartillo-Mejia

Marco Sosa

Noel Tzompa-Sanchez

Maya Worcester

Isaac Zarate Carrillo

Hugo Alvarado Villegas

Marcoantonio Barraza Torrecillas

Joshua Correa Pineda

Travis D’Amours

Brian Diaz Morillon

Donna Farag

Itzel Garcia Tzompa

Yeraldy Gonzales Corona

Trent Healy

Roxana Martinez Martinez

Clara McGee

Keysi Mendez Rodriguez

Arath Munoz Ochoa

Miranda Ruiz Ayala

Bodie Turner

Jana Turner

Lucy Turner

Destinee Vazquez

Deagan Wilson

Being a member of the team that got to make this mural makes me feel incredibly grateful. I've learned from this experience that this mural is more than just artwork; for many locals in the community, it symbolizes a part of their home. 

– JH High School Student Nicole Checker 

ABOUT JH COMMUNITY PATHWAYS

Jackson Hole Community Pathways is the pathways and trails program of the Town of Jackson and Teton County. Since completion of the first shared-use pathway in the Town of Jackson in 1996, the system has grown to include more than 50 miles of pathways that provide safe connections for non-motorized transportation and recreation throughout Teton County and linking to the pathway system in Grand Teton National Park. For more information on pathways, contact Brian Schilling at bschilling@tetoncountywy.gov

ABOUT JACKSON HOLE PUBLIC ART

JH Public Art forges partnerships for the integration of art into any environment to inspire lasting cultural, educational and economic benefits. JHPA is a non-profit organization and our community’s leading presenter of artist-driven projects in public spaces. We place artworks outside traditional venues of museums and galleries to provide access to art for all people. For more information on public art contact: Carrie Geraci, Executive Director at carrie@jhpublicart.org