More than a dozen paintings, drawings and illustrations created by local Black artists are on display throughout the state Capitol building to mark the beginning of Black History Month.

The artworks – part of the Solidarity Mobile Mural Project – will be on display from February through the summer. They include 11 artworks hung in the Capitol basement rotunda and several others inside of the governor’s office lobby, the lieutenant governor’s office and the legislative council staff office.

“Our intent was to showcase the wide breadth of artistic talent and perspective among Black creatives living and working in the Pikes Peak Region,” said Avenue Creative Circuit, which presents the project with My Black Colorado and the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region. “We’re delighted to see a collaborative project like this grow well beyond the three districts that came together to launch it.”

The Solidarity Mobile Mural Project features original work by Black artists in the Pikes Peak Region. The work reflects the artists’ lived experience, perception of beauty and aspirations for the future, Avenue Creative Circuit said.

This is the latest installation of the year-round Creative Capitol Exhibition, which highlights local artists by displaying their work inside the Capitol in an effort to “inspire human connections, create social change and support economic vibrancy throughout Colorado,” according to the exhibition website.

“I am very glad at the timing,” said Ruth Wilson with Colorado Creative Industries, which runs the exhibition. “One of Creative Industries’ central focuses is to provide support of all varieties to Colorado artists. We love being able to showcase artwork by Colorado artists in the state Capitol and also to highlight to Colorado legislators, legislative staff and Capitol visitors the vibrancy of the Colorado creative sector.”

Here are the artworks on display in the Capitol rotunda, along with explanations from the artists provided by Avenue Creative Circuit:

“It’s a Wonderful Day,” “Looking for a Better Day” and “Getting Fancy” by Kevin Johnson

“I’m a traditional and digital artist and retired Army vet,” Johnson said. “I love creating art that shows the beauty and positivity in us all. A lot of my images come from my life experiences and imagination. I remember images from my childhood while growing up in Louisville, Kentucky. My friends and family members give me inspiration for some of my paintings.”

“Facial/Racial Recognition” by Floyd D. Tunson

“I’ve been thinking about ‘Facial/Racial Recognition’ for a long time because it represents certain issues that have yet to be totally resolved,” Tunson said. “Black men have been targeted as a supposedly dangerous group, rather than seen as individual human beings. Identifying a person via facial recognition technology can result in erroneous and devastating results for the misidentified.”

“Space Cadet” by Brittney McDonald-Lantzer

“In my experience, it feels as if you are Black and enjoy something like anime, comics, video games, etc., that isn’t ‘Black enough,’ you are judged and shamed for enjoying the media that speaks to you,” McDonald-Lantzer said. “The existence of this piece is simple: I love space, anime, future funk and art. So, I rolled all of that up in the ‘Space Cadet.'”

“Awia Repue” by Jasmine Holmes

“These works are inspired by consumerist culture and its appetite for devouring the colored body,” Holmes said. “With an emphasis on the Black figure she draws from social constructs, such as race, class and creed, in order to bring forth an image that both disturbs the viewer and procures contemplation.”

“Just Us” by C.J. Hackett

“I’ve been unable to find the words that really sum up the way I feel about the struggles and injustices our country is facing right now, but music seems to find me and even without words it provides a powerful connection to the community around me,” Hackett said. “As a guitarist, I use pedals to generate powerful effects when creating music. The possibilities are endless. If only there were a pedal that could change the world so easily.”

“Internal Power” by Vincent Coleman

“This piece reflects how it felt to grow up in the only African American family in an upper-class white neighborhood,” Coleman said. “These experiences have shaped me into the person I’ve become today. Being able to express this through art in these turbulent times is a blessing.”

“Agape Self Love” by Rosario Weston

“The year of the COVID-19 global pandemic, I not only quarantined, but also painted and reflected on the visual stories I wanted to capture on canvas,” Weston said. “‘Agape Self Love’ is a painting that evolved from this reflection. This painting is inspired by nature, people doing what comes naturally to them and American contemporary culture.”

“Unbound” by Parker Camp

“As a Reiki master, I refer to my higher self when it comes to creating each canvas,” Camp said. “If I choose to ignore it, I inevitably end up completely repainting a piece. It’s best to not argue. Colors have meaning. Texture is important. Perspective is personal. … My tattoos, my hair, my skin color, my accent, will always lead others to the wrong conclusion, but my work is open to interpretation. I’m ready to see that in motion.”

“Bus Stop” by James A. Dixon

“My artwork aims to convey to its audience a sense of inevitability. It should shout out to the viewer, ‘What took you so long to get here?'” Dixon said. “While this piece’s title and subject matter reflect the pedestrian rituals of pre-COVID urban life, to me, it pivots towards the unmistakable possibilities that humankind was designed to live peacefully together.”