The Indigenous Walls Project: Amplifying Indigenous Voices Through Public Art

(Indigenous Walls Project founder Jared Wheatley, pictured here with his mother and children. Photo via @indigenouswallsproject on Instagram.)

A series of murals are popping up around Asheville, NC, featuring works by indigenous artists, in an effort to amplify native voices. 

They are part of “The Indigenous Walls Project,” an effort spearheaded by Cherokee Nation artist and local business owner Jared Wheatley. 

“The intent is to have a minimum of six nations represented in Asheville, NC, by the end of the summer with [thousands of square feet] of wall space already donated for indigenous artists use,” Jared shared on the Instagram page for The Indigenous Walls Project.

“There is no game plan we must follow or restriction on previous installation history. This is a project fueled by passion with the hope of amplifying voices from any corner of the indigenous community willing to speak up.”

(Photo via @indigenouswallsproject.)

Request a Wall or Donate a Wall 

Through the Indigenous Walls Project website, indigenous artists can request a wall for painting in Asheville, NC, that meets their artistic goals. 

Local Real estate owners can also donate wall space to the project, to connect public spaces with indigenous arts and inspire awareness of the cultural diversity, skills, lifestyle, and history of native nations.

So far, over 20,000 square feet of wall space has been donated.

“We are actively recruiting artists from EBCI,” Jared shared.

“We are reaching out to native and indigenous artists to begin installations as soon as they’d like…please share and mention folks who may be interested. We are paying traveling and installations expenses for those living out of town to ensure that as many nations and cultures as possible can be represented,” he shared recently on Instagram. 

The Indigenous Walls Project is not about an individual, Jared stresses, but about the goal of reclaiming visibility, space, and social dialogue with indigenous artists and culture.

Those interested in requesting a wall to paint a mural, or donating wall space, can do so at indigenouswallsprojects.com.