Colorful murals by Linfield College Professor Ron Mills-Pinyas cover many walls of a pilot Costa Rican school of the arts, thanks to an ongoing project and recent residency.
For the past six years, Mills-Pinyas, Linfield College professor of art and visual culture, has been working on a major cycle of murals concerning the integration of the arts at a prestigious national art school for all ages in Santa Ana, Costa Rica. He recently spent a week at the school as artist-in-residence.
The work springs from Fulbright research started in 1986 and continued in 1993 during which time Mills-Pinyas developed a strong professional relationship with Jorge Luis Acevedo, an ethnomusicologist, founder and director of the school with whom Mills-Pinyas spent many hours discussing what an ideal school of the arts might look like.
In residence at the new School of the Integrated Arts (EMAI) intermittently since 2010, Mills-Pinyas has been adding murals to the school’s campus, including an initial 52-foot panel followed by four smaller murals in 2013, later friezes and columns on the front of the building in 2015 and 2016. Currently, Mills-Pinyas is finishing painting this lyrical, poetic cycle, showcasing creative, psychological and spiritual growth through music, theater, dance and the plastic arts.
“Origins, an allegory of creative transformation” is Mills’ largest work to date, covering a large portion of a block-long building, including four tall parallel seismic panels. The entire project covers over 2,400 square feet.
“Through the mural I embrace the challenge that EMAI presents to the community, to become fully realized, expressive and generous human beings, at home with a sense of beauty, community and expressivity,” Mills-Pinyas said.
To learn more about Mills-Pinyas’ work and experience in Costa Rica, read his blog or visit his website.
