GRETA MCLAIN has over 10 years of mural making experience spent exploring the ways that art can bring communities together, the power of visual language to activate voice, and the potential of art as a vehicle for hands-on organizing and educating. She has traveled to South America and Europe studying new and traditional mural techniques. She has created projects in and around Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Memphis, Philadelphia, Argentina, Mexico, and France.
GRETA has shown her deep commitment to her South Minneapolis community with over 30 murals and 15+ community projects in the Twin Cities. She earned her BA from University of California Davis, and her MFA from Minneapolis College of Art and Design.
By undertaking mural projects in areas experiencing racial, economic, or cultural tension and disconnect, bonds of friendship are fostered among those formerly viewed as strangers, as a diverse cross-section of community members work together in the ideation and creation of the mural/mosaic.
Greta works directly within the education system through artist residencies. There, she works with children and youth to build a vision for their futures, their school, and community. Students engage with and contribute to their learning environment in a positive way by becoming active participants in the design and creation of a mural/mosaic located in their own school.
Designed for installation in public spaces, commercial works are informed by the history and vision of the community in which they are situated, as well as Greta's experience designing images which bring people together and elevate spaces with a rich and positive energy.
Download Greta's CV here