Mosaic Mural Rescue

Phase 1: $10,000

Total fundraising efforts required: $150,000

Deadline: September 2022

Hello! We are asking for help from the community to raise funds to save this large mosaic mural that is at risk of being torn down. This mural, titled “Berbere”, was built by local Black and Native artist, Lori Greene, and it tells a story of the Oromo people, who are the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia. The building that the mural was built on is being demolished, so we are raising money to hire a professional company who can preserve this mural by carefully removing and re-installing it onto another wall.

The History of the Mural

This mural currently lives on the outside of the Star Food Market, an African-immigrant-owned grocery store. Unfortunately, the Star Food Market had to close its doors during the pandemic and the building has since sold and is slated for demolition this fall. The new owners of the building plan to tear the building down to make room for affordable dwelling units and associated support spaces, a huge asset to this vibrant neighborhood. Although we look forward to the ways this building project will serve our community, we do not want to lose this tremendous piece of artwork. If we do not act quickly, this mural will be torn down along with the building in a matter of months.

Community and Identity

‘Berbere’ currently exists in the Hamline-Midway neighborhood, located in St. Paul, MN. This neighborhood is lovingly referred to as ‘Little Africa’ because of the rich community of African immigrants who call it home. This prominent mural serves as a powerful symbol of love and cultural identity for the community of Little Africa. If we meet our fundraising goal we plan to relocate the mural to another local building.

The Imagery

The mosaic-building process is extremely labor-intensive; each piece of tile you see in the mural was cut by hand. This expansive piece covers over 500 square feet, and took a team of artists four months to make. The images depicted in the mural were each carefully selected to speak to the Oromo people of Ethiopia to honor the owners of the Star Food Market and their heritage. All the figures in the mural you will also notice are Oromo women. If you look closely, you will see a flowing milk jug, a sign of fertility, coffee trees loaded with fruit, dancing goats, food baskets full of injera, and some butterflies and birds (whose meaning contains cultural significance) soaring through the air. Where the mountains of the Ethiopian highlands are visible just on the horizon, you will see a hand overflowing with teff, seeds to be planted in the rich soil that a woman is tending below. The river of life flows across the scene, bringing harmony and new beginnings. It slows and changes direction as it meets a woman spinning a dizzying traditional hair dance. Towards the end of the mural, you will find a monarch approaching a young girl, symbolizing a future in the Americas.

The Funding

A tremendous amount of love and effort was poured into creating ‘Berbere’, and it is irreplaceable. Your donation will help us raise the funds needed to hire a team of specialists to carefully remove, store, and relocate this mosaic to another local building. Because of the current construction timeline, our fundraising efforts are extremely time sensitive and emergent. We hope to rescue this work of art, keep it in the neighborhood it has lived in, and allow it to continue to serve as a reflection of the culture and beauty for the African residents and visitors of Hamline Midway.

Big Love to you all!