NEWS FROM NIZ

Our girl Niz of Austin/Peru has had a productive year, so here's an update on some of her most recent projects in her own words...

"My most recent projects have been 2 mural offerings to the Mayan village of Ek Balam, MX, where I hope to start a dialogue with them to create a better understanding between cultures. Many people assume that they are a "lost" culture or "lost civilization but they are not. There are 6 million Maya in the world and they still have their culture and beliefs intact. There is so much to learn from them. With their invitation and blessing, I painted one mural on the corner store where everyone hangs out, and one in the main square where events are held.

During the Summer I painted several activist style murals here in Austin. Two to help empower the black community and express support during the BLM protests. Both were of Angela Davis and were located in prominent parts of the city. For this, I partnered with the Black Legacy Mural Project and together we raised around $10,000 to donate to The Austin Justice Coalition and other non profit's helping the cause.

I also painted 2 murals to help mobilize minority women to vote prior to the election. In these, I used a local black model to represent minority women. One of these projects was on my own, and I painted it in the parking lot of a local pizza place where a lot of young people sit and wait in the parking lot to pick up pizza orders. For the second, I partnered with a local black muralist, Sade Lawson, and we were hired by The Mexic Arte Museum to collaborate on a large mural downtown.

During the Summer, I also painted an entire pickle ball court at a client's house. The reason this was a significant job was because it inspired a spiritual transformation that fueled my work afterward. It also speaks to the fact that there are wealthy people out there who are thinking at an elevated consciousness. Because of this job, I have been manifesting more of those types of clients. I feel they are key in channeling money and energy into a revolution of consciousness. The client wanted to represent the different stages of consciousness and the spiritual journey in this project.

In the Fall/Winter, I participated in a project called "Be Well", as part of Raasin in the Sun, black run, non profit organization here in Austin. The focus was on promoting positive mental health during the pandemic, via a series of mural collaborations at a very high traffic underpass in downtown Austin. The selection of artists was inclusive of different races and backgrounds."