Nuestra Madre Justicia
MKE COURTHOUSE MURAL
Spring 2019
Funded by philanthropist and former county executive Chris Abele out of pocket, the mission of the project is to not only bring life into the building, but diversity as well. There are seven murals in total in the courthouse, each done by a local artist or art collective such as Tia Richardson, Rosy Petri, and Fanana Banana to name a few. Their artwork ranges from representations of marginalized communities to pieces meant to invoke the past and potential future of Milwaukee.
"We wanted to create a welcoming and inclusive space at the courthouse. These works were born out of the vision of Milwaukee County that by achieving racial equity, Milwaukee will be the healthiest county in Wisconsin."
Rae Johnson | Courthouse Director of Communications
The COVID outbreak limited the painting process, requiring participating artists Lauren Medina, Katie Avila Loughmiller, Whitney Salgado, Debbie Sajnani, Irma Román, and Taylor Herrada to take shifts working on it to ensure the mural was created while social distancing. The design by LUNA member Lauren Medina, represents the classic Lady Justice image featuring a blindfolded woman holding a scale and a sword. In Medina’s rendering, Lady Justice has butterflies around her face in lieu of a blindfold. "This conveys her ability to really see people for who they are and not the color of their skin," she says. Medina says the mural’s "jungle"-esque background represents an ever-changing legal landscape or what many people of color have to navigate to get through the legal system.
