Basalt is where many workers who serve the wealthy ski haven of Aspen live, and the economic gap between the two towns is stark.
"It's weird for them to live in this small community with such a big disparity," Ajax says. "There's this disenfranchisement...kids want to participate in events that are popular here, like skiing, but can't because of money, language."
All the participating students are enrolled in the English Language Development program at Basalt High School led by Leticia Ingram, the 2016 Colorado Teacher of the Year.
The mural is composed of individual representations of houses created by students.
Photo courtesy of Ajax Axe
"We've talked about this a lot; safety and being homesick for families that are in other countries were topics that came up. I don't know if they get to talk about this stuff. That's been my takeaway," Ajax says.
While the participants in the project are all immigrants, their experiences of coming to Colorado were vastly different. Some came from Mexico, some from El Salvador, and one from Honduras. Their diverse backgrounds are shown in how they interpret an ideal home. Some stuck to traditional looks; others created futuristic designs.
Each home will be presented as a part of a collage in a larger mural, which will be revealed at the gallery opening. Members of the community will be invited to see the group's dream homes and to color in blank spaces of the mural to contribute their visions of home.
Home: Unpacking Self and Place opens at 5 p.m. Friday, November 10, and runs through December 22 at the Charles J. Wyly Gallery at the Art Base, 99 Midland Spur in Basalt. For more information, call 970-927-4123.
