The artist vision for this mural is offered with great reverence and respect to the original peoples of this land: the Cahuilla, Serrano, Luiseño and Tongva tribes, all indigenous to our mountain areas, deserts, rivers, the valleys and the coast. A physical representation of the indigenous people that were here before us, who are still here with us, those who tended to this land, whose literal blood, sweat and tears permeate the landscape. Without them, we would not have an Inland Empire to call home. We look to them as we protect our diverse cultures and steward our land, our medicine, our languages and ceremonial ways of prayer to nurture our children and our community. In 2020, my 20 year-old son had a daughter and thus, made me a grandmother.
It brought to mind an ancient indigenous prophecy that says,
When the grandmothers from the four directions speak, a new time is coming.
That is the energy and intention for this art: the four directions represented by the image of four grandmothers —
Tongva, people of the Earth
Luiseño, people of the West
Cahuilla, people of the desert
Serrano, people of the pines
photo: Raincross Gazette
The four grandmothers will serve as a reminder for all to see whose land they are standing on, to step with mindfulness, to step with care. They will also serve as totems, spiritual guardians if you will, for those who respect the feminine and ultimately, Mother Earth. Standing under each grandmother, pause to take a breath and reset your nervous system. As you look up to them, you will feel their protection, their fierce and tender love.
photo: Cisco Streetlenz
About the mural
“Grandmothers” mural created by artist Denise Silva in Riverside, CA.
The 40-foot long mural is painted on the west-facing exterior wall of the Riverside Main Public Library and is located at 3900 Mission Inn Avenue Riverside CA 92501. Concept created by artist Denise Silva in 2021 and painted in 2022, assisted by artists Amparo Chi, Jeshua V and Solomon Cortes. The colors chosen for the mural highlight the place where each grandmother is from, humbly offering representation to our native population, to visually evoke the spectrum of skin color of our indigenous community, as well as the richness of our Inland Empire landscape. The bold shapes and style of the grandmothers also highlights the divine feminine, which reflects the artist and the women in our community.
Where to visit the Grandmothers
You can find The Grandmothers at the following library locations:
Main Library 3900 Mission Inn Ave. Riverside, CA 92501
La Sierra Library 4600 La Sierra Avenue Riverside, CA 92505
Arlanza Library 8267 Philbin Ave, Riverside, CA 92503
Orange Terrace Library 20010-B Orange Terrace Pkwy Riverside, CA 92508
Casa Blanca Library 2985 Madison St, Riverside, CA 92504
photo: Raincross Gazette
Coloring pages of each grandmother and her tribe have been created as a resource for our community to spark the curiosity of those who visit the library and those who enjoy coloring as a form of meditation and therapy.
