A big change is coming to the Gilchrist Learning Center in 2026! Since the summer of 2022, a 7’6” x 35’ mural has graced the walls of the Gilchrist Learning Center. This mural, which can be viewed from Pierce Street by visitors inside the building as well as pedestrians and drivers on Pierce Street, is a community-based public art project. The mural depicts two different environments, one dystopian and the other utopian, in which the artists explore the channels through which we internalize the impacts of external pressures: through the head and the heart.

A new mural is coming in July 2026 as part of a collaboration with Mural on the Wall (Mural OTW), under the leadership of Mural OTW artists Reyna Hernandez and Amber Hansen, who led the 2022 mural, and local high school students.

“I am excited about creating a second mural for the Gilchrist Learning Center,” commented Amber Hansen. “The first mural was such a meaningful process and opportunity to learn what young people care about and to help shape a collective image that amplifies their voices.”

Mural OTW’s community-based approach enables the organization to mentor students and participants to help prepare them for leadership roles throughout their lives. There are fourteen students involved with the project, with ten selected student leaders who will help facilitate the mural and gain valuable insights into the collaborative nature of this type of public art.

Meet the ten student leaders facilitating this collaborative project: 

Malillany Alvarez, a 15-year-old Sophomore at South Sioux City High School, is a cheerleader and artist who joined the project to collaborate on impactful, politically-conscious art that leaves the community with a positive lasting impression.

Finnegan Barendt, a Senior at East High School, joined the project to deepen their community involvement and collaborate on a large-scale, pride-inducing mural that mirrors their personal interest in art that makes a bold statement.

Brady Bowman, a Sophomore at South Sioux City High School, joined the project to gain new painting and drawing skills through a collaborative learning experience that ends in a shared sense of accomplishment.

Luther Buffalo Chief, a Sophomore at West High School who enjoys pencil drawing, acrylic painting, and sewing, joined the project to challenge himself through collaboration and hopes to gain more efficient communication skills while creating a finished work the team can be proud of.

Aurora Carrizales, a Junior at West High School who specializes in drawing and acrylic painting, joined the project to collaborate with her peers on a meaningful work of art that authentically expresses the unique worldview and ideology of her generation.

Leonardo Olvera Dominguez, a Junior at South Sioux City High School with a background in everything from Mexican art school techniques to welding and pyrography, joined the project to collaborate with fellow artists on a multi-sensory mural that utilizes innovative materials to engage all people.

Marisa Guevara, a Sophomore at South Sioux City High School who enjoys experimenting with bright colors and multiple mediums, joined the project to build new friendships while creating a vibrant mural intended to inspire community members to make a positive change in the world.

Sebastian Padilla, a Junior at North High School who enjoys creating landscape art, joined the project as an opportunity to step out of his shell and gain the collaborative experience needed to create a mural that truly represents Sioux City.

Christy Roque, a Sophomore at South Sioux City High School who focuses on art with deeper meaning, joined the project to fulfill a lifelong dream of museum-level collaboration and hopes this project results in an inspiring mural that leaves a legacy for future generations.

Zeppelin Sulzbach, a Sophomore at South Sioux City High School who specializes in portraiture, joined the project to combine their love of art with the power of collaboration to create a beautiful, meaningful mural for the community.

“It is so inspiring to hear from younger folks about their experiences and to have the opportunity to collaborate and create something new together,” said Reyna Hernandez.

Among Mural OTW’s goals is to pass along valuable knowledge and experience. “The student leadership team will be learning about the methods and processes of creating community-based murals, with the hope that more murals will be created utilizing this process,” said Hansen.

The community-based approach also offers access to a way of creating that is democratic in nature. “By inviting members of the community to participate in this process, the story that’s depicted in the mural becomes so much more complex and fleshed out because there are more voices in the room,” said Hernandez.

Mural OTW uplifts students and the local community who are interested in the design of the mural. Additionally, working with participants creates a tie between the mural and the people who live in the local community. “Creating artwork for the public in many ways implies a responsibility to consult the public in the design process,” said Hernandez. “We want folks who will be around the mural to feel connected to it, and consulting the public to share in its creation is a great way to make that possible.”

Mural On The Wall (OTW) is a community-based mural team from Vermillion, SD. Lead Artists Reyna Hernandez and Amber Hansen have been working together since 2019 and have facilitated several mural projects in various communities since their first collaboration on a two-part mural at the Coyote Twin Theatres in Vermillion, South Dakota.

For updates on the project, follow @mural_otw on Instagram, Mural OTW on Facebook or email MuralOTW@gmail.com.

Click HERE to learn more about the current mural and Mural OTW.