by Joyce DeVore
Some people find a beautiful solution to an ugly problem. The Woodfords Washoe Community Council wanted to stop teenagers on the Hung-a-lel-ti reservation from painting graffiti on their water tower. They thought of a better solution than having the maintenance people repaint the tower.
"Get the kids involved," said Kevin Jones, the artist who led the project.
"For a year we worked on the funding, finding a grant to cover expenses," Jones said.
While he submitted designs to the community council, Woodfords Washoe Community Chairwoman DeAnn Roberts wrote the grant offered through the Washoe TANF Office to address both the graffiti problem and to create positive self-esteem for those involved.
"I wanted the tower to show how we relate to nature: growing up on the earth, with water, with animals and birds," Roberts said. "The children joined hand in hand, with a circle of adults standing behind them represents the circle we live in.
"The circle of children and adults also relates to our round dances and being together as the Southern Band," she said. "Hung-a-lel-ti means Southern Band, but it also 'means looking over the valley.'"
The work began with Jones making cardboard stencils of the design approved by the council.
"The perspective was a challenge," said Jones. "I had to measure the whole tank and do the math to figure out how wide to make the stencil. The eagle is eight feet across!
"This is the first time I've done a mural like this. Flat is easy, but a circle is tough."
Work began last June. Jones and other adults led the work and 15 or 20 teenagers pitched in when possible.
"The kids painted worms, bugs, and butterflies on the lowest part of the tower, using paint brushes. I didn't go over what they did. I just let the paint run because I wanted the art to be theirs and not mine," said Jones.
The tower is located on a rocky hill, so as each new stencil was added to make the next higher level of the mural, one person had to walk down the road to a level spot and direct the artists to level the stencils. Woodfords is famous for its winds, which played havoc with the stencils. Even though there were hot days, Jones said that the most difficult part was solidly seating the ladders. Toward the end, he had to rent a lift to reach the upper parts of the mural.
Since there was a limited budget, Jones bought the paint one gallon at a time. The expensive undercoat is a compound that does not seep into the metal. The top coats are earth colors, with an emphasis on subtle shades. To satisfy the grant, the paint had to stay on for one year " which will be celebrated in just a few weeks. So far, there has been no graffiti and the paint is in perfect condition. The project deterred graffiti, allowed the youth to have ownership in the art, and beautified Alpine County.
Jones is a trained and accomplished artist, who works in silver jewelry, woodwork and murals. He comes from a family of artists, ranging from basket weavers to contemporary artists.
The community council together with Jones are working on another mural project for the beautiful new community center. The design will include Washoe traditions, including honoring veterans and maintaining health.
Joyce Devore is an Alpine County resident.
