Resonance - A mural for the grief we carry with us

speak to me me properties / in progress

Grief has always been carried in the stories and relationships developed at In Progress. Over time we found a resilience and rhythm of care in traveiing with grief until that is we experienced the passing of one of our youngest artists - Ghia Na Vue. Ghia was a force of love and curiosity. She sought to make new friends at every turn and ran through our halls introducing herself to others and then introducing them to others. At her young age she built community and she brought a new definition of belonging to those who had the privilege of knowing her.

On June 6, 2017 our relationship to grief changed dramatically. It became up close and personal in a way many of us had not quite experienced, and since that time, our grief has resonated throughout almost everything we do. Over the years we have sought to honor our story with Ghia by creating a garden, tended by family and loved ones. We have also sought ways to acknowledge and receive the collective grief that comes to us through the many people that are a part of our In Progress community. The result is Resonance - a mural in hor of

The mural begins with the water spirit Ghia's story of coming and returning to water

·       The girl running through the water represents Sai and her search.

·       The boy upon the rocks represents a brother's desire and need to protect.

·       The moon symbolizes a sister's love, casting a searching light for the one who is missed.

·       The heart is love and hope

·       The rock is the parent, that stands firm to hold the family in their grief.

Videos Honoring Our Memories of Ghia vue

Where our memories Ghia Na began this mural journey, there were countless other stories of grief, loss and remembrance that brought us to the full mural. Every image, every stroke of paint contains a story and emotion, some of which are shared below:

Torn Away: Leal Family

Analisa Leal died unexpectedly while celebrating her newly announced engagement with her fiancé. The two died in a car accident while driving home from their celebration. Her story came to symbolizes a child transitioning into adulthood, leaving the embrace of her mother only to enter the embrace of the Guadalupe.  Analisa grew up as the younger sister of IP artist Tomas Leal.  She was and is loved by so many and we wonder what would have come to be if she was still with us.

Waiting: Kingbird/Wind Family and perhaps the Espinosa Family

Nevaeh Kingbird went missing from her home on October 22, 2021. She was 15 years old. Her family still holds hope that she will be found, but there is no trace of her. Her Ojibwe name is Giizhikaandagookwe (Cedar Woman). Her story in our mural is represented as the hope and medicine that is given by our cedar trees. Cedar is a traditional medicine that soothes the throat, calms fevers, and helps loosen joints, allowing us to move. Cedar trees can also root in stone and grow where other living things cannot.

Jim Vue (and all those grieving) represents to us in many ways, the rock - the foundation from which hope can still grow. The twisting trunk continues beyond our time on earth to sprout leaves, which are the medicine of hope.  Hlussia,  as the heart carved (or represented as part of) in the trunk symbolizes healing hopefulness, understanding grief, and being nourished and taught by it.

·       Bring Her Home a video by Lakaylee Wind Kingbird

Wastewin Gonzalez was a 21 year old mother who died unexpectedly in 2008.  She was running and fell – hitting the back of her neck that had been injured years before. Her mother Juanita was left to care for Wastewin’s daughter, also named Juanita.  Little Juanita, like Hlushia was like the beating heart that allowed hope to rise.  The memory of Wastewin is also present in Analisa’s story as Wastewin was connected to the stars in her traditional beliefs.  Her story also flow’s with Ghia’s as she was a water protector.

The loss of self: Jones/Whipple Family

Josalyn Jones died of COVID in November 2020. She passed away alone on a respirator, leaving behind her three daughters, her twin sister, and a large extended family. They were left with the task of redefining their paths in life. For Jacy, her twin sister, this death was also her ending. To this day, she feels a reflection, perhaps the shadow of her sister. She is now raising her three nieces, just as she raised her own three daughters, and is in the process of adopting them. They continue as one family, bound by love. Here, the idea of a reflection (the same but not the same) may be fitting.

·       The Reflection of Water a video by Jacylynn Jones

·       Twin Sisters a video by jacylyn Jones

The Weight of Grief: Lupe Puentes

Lily Heng died suddenly from a brain aneurysm in May 2021. Her long-time partner, Lupe, was devastated and thrown into a deep depression from which he is still struggling to emerge. For him, this depression is comparable to the strong undercurrent of a river, pulling him under and forcing him to fight for every breath. It is a place where little hope is felt or seen, except for that one small grasp of air.

·       The Current of this Life a video by Lupe Puentes

Farewells: Wa Houa Vue & Family

In November 2021, Mainou Vue tragically took her own life at the age of 25. She had grown up at In Progress, Once she was filled with joy, but ultimately she was consumed by profound sadness. She left behind a devastated family. I will forever carry an image of Wa Houa Vue standing alone behind the funeral home, burning the spirit papers. As I recorded the moment, the surroundings were silent, except for the sound of ash and fire burning. The smoke rose high, swirling into the air. It was a sight both beautiful and profoundly sad. It reminded me of the fires lit in Anishinaabe culture when someone passes away. The fire continues to burn during the four-day funeral until the spirit is finally released. 

Mainou’s Send Off – visual illustration

The Slow Departure: Xee Reiter & Family

Xee, this is your visual expression, shared with other deaths we have encountered—the gradual and inevitable disconnect of body from spirit over time.  Some additional examples I can provide are Carrie Estey, whose leukemia eventually spread to her brain and took her away from us.  Sai's mother, Tia, suffered stroke after stroke. Through all these deaths, there were people who sat with them, talked with them, and helped them prepare.

Xee reiter - muralist

Chris is a freelance photographer based out of the Twin Cities who specializes in sports photography and photojournalism. He currently attends Century College in White Bear Lake, MN where he studies photography.  

Currently, Chris freelances for Minnesota Public Radio, the Minneapolis Spokesman-Recorder. and Sport Ngin.  His long-term goals are to do photography projects locally, nationally, and internationally, covering issues around the globe as well as stories.

This image series was taken in Mexico City in September of 2018. They were taken in psychiatric institutions throughout and on the outskirts of the city while documenting a human rights investigation with Disability Rights International.

The focus of the documentation was to visually show what many peoples’ lives look like with disabilities in a place void of human rights for people with disabilities. Throughout the journey we visited 5 psychiatric institutions as well as a group full of self-advocates called Colective Chucan. The group consists of people with disabilities including many who were institutionalized and are currently working towards bettering the conditions for people with disabilities in Mexico.

Along with that documentation we went to talk to a woman with two autistic sons who got there kids in the public school system. Many people wanted her to institutionalize her children.

One of the more inspiring stories was of a woman who was told she needed to be sterilized. She fought for her reproductive rights and won. When she ended up getting pregnant they wanted her to get an abortion. She was able to fight an Edwin but then when the child was born they wanted her to give up the child for adoption. She is now the proud mother of her child.

Some of the other stories that were more heartbreaking were stories of forced shock therapy, lobotomies, and torture that exists in Mexico’s system.

You can find out more about Disability Rights International and the work they do at driadvocacy.org.