Colorful, sheer cloth flags with fabric letters spelling out hopeful messages in English and Spanish are hanging in One Boulder Plaza through an art project created by two graduate students.
Alejandra Abad and Román Anaya, University of Colorado Boulder fine arts graduate students, developed the “Our Wishes/Nuestros Deseos” project as a way to create community art during a pandemic. The concept is to reclaim flags, using them to embody inclusiveness instead of as divisive symbols.
“It’s an exercise of re-imagining the future,” Abad said. “We can get through this together. Ultimately, there are a lot of good people in the world, just not a lot of opportunities for them to be heard.”
Her art, she said, is centered on community and breaking down the barriers between the artist and the viewer. She said they designed the flags to be whimsical with a light and playful feel, adding that using sheer cloth was a deliberate choice.
“The fabric was a vehicle for the light to move through,” she said. “It’s poetic. When there’s darkness, light can come in.”
The artists asked the community to submit messages of hope, in any language, for the flags. Messages include: “I wish that in the future we build trust in one another and unite,” “Let’s give each other love and care,” and “Si se puede (Yes we can).”
“It’s been a very rewarding project,” Abad said. “A lot of people wanted to be a part of it.”
The project’s installation at One Boulder Plaza, on 13th Street between Canyon and Walnut Street in downtown Boulder, is a collaboration with the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art. A second installation through BMoCA on Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall is set for Feb. 15.
Over the weekend, BMoCA gave community members an opportunity to help create some of the flags. Volunteers coated the letters with fabric glue to adhere them to the flags at socially distanced tables.
“I saw it as an opportunity to help with these messages,” said volunteer Tanya Daganaar. “It’s kind of cool. A lot of people are going to see these.”
Along with working with BMoCA, the two artists have created other ongoing installations, including a flag display in the Denver Art District on Santa Fe that will be up through Feb. 15. To make their project more accessible, they’re also planning a virtual display at unidos.club, where they continue to accept community messages of hope.
Kiah Butcher, BMoCA’s community engagement and events coordinator, said this is the third year of BMoCA outdoor art exhibits at One Boulder Plaza.
“This time, we were looking for the best way engage with the community and bring some light and positivity,” she said. “This installation is really special. It’s truly Boulder making art for Boulder.”
