First Friday Unveiling of Carbondale's Newest Mural

Curators Gayle Embrey and Vanessa Porras came together in planning “Identidad Y Libertad,” knowing they wanted to feature Colorado muralist Armando Silva. Originally the show was set to mount last June, however, due to the pandemic the show was postponed. Armando was scheduled to paint a mural on plywood for the exhibition that would later need to find a permanent home.

During the months while R2 Gallery and The Launchpad itself were closed, Amy Kimberly presented an idea to Kyle Crawly of Stepping Stones, a Carbondale based non-profit that had recently moved into a new building in need of some color on its exterior wall. This idea incorporated bringing the vibrancy of Armando’s work to the community, with an opportunity to create a lasting and meaningful piece by including the students of Stepping Stones in the ideation process. The design is inspired by the question “What does home mean to you?”

Stepping Stones provides our youth with positive adult role models, empowering experiences, and the skills they need to thrive. Through this mural project and process, we hope to enlighten these young minds with passion for creativity and the impact of art.

Armando will be painting all week with a celebration of the completed mural at 4pm on Friday, June 4th on location at Stepping Stones, 1154 CO-133 Carbondale, CO 81623. Afterward he will be speaking at R2 Gallery for the opening of “Identidad Y Libertad” at 5:30pm.