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Broken Arrow Pays Homage to Muscogee Tribal Town Roots in New Mural

June 2, 2021

For Immediate Release
May 14, 2021
Media Contact: Darren Delaune
O: (918) 732-7617
qqrynhar@zhfpbtrrangvba.pbz

The grant funded art project will celebrate the tribe and city’s connected histories

 BROKEN ARROW, Oklahoma ­­­­­­– The Museum Broken Arrow is adding some large-scale beauty to it’s home in the Rose District. Work is underway on a mural that will be painted on the south wall of the two-story building.

Executive Director Julie Brown said the museum’s mission is to preserve and showcase history and what better way to represent both, than having a mural that depicts the city’s story.

“We have a big wall on the south side of the building and we thought that is a perfect spot for a mural,” she said. “This mural could be something that touches on the high points of our history.”

There are numerous images outlined on the mural that reflect different aspects of Broken Arrow history including sports, agriculture and military service. One of the focal points of the mural that centers the project, is an homage to the shared heritage of the city with the Muscogee Nation.

“It is a Muscogee princess that is on the mural,” Brown said. “We always knew that we wanted as a focal point something related to the Muscogee Nation.”

Brown said she spoke with the Muscogee Nation Cultural Center and Archives Department to get more information about the subject on the center piece of the mural.

“The goal is to have a powerful image, a stoic image,” Brown said.

The mural’s artist, Carlos Barboza, is originally from Costa Rica and now lives in Yukon, OK.  Barboza’s appreciation for Native culture and art, motivated him to put his name in the hat vying for a chance to paint the mural. He applied for the project, and the competition was narrowed down to three finalists. The artists had to put a design together and the community voted on the winner.

“I am always on the lookout for new and interesting jobs, and I have done something similar to this in Yukon,” Barboza said. “I love working on things that show the history of the city that I am working in.”

Barboza said he does a lot of research, when preparing for projects such as this. He jumped at the opportunity to showcase a slice of Muscogee life on the mural.

“I came to the museum and took a tour of the place,” he said. “That is how you get a picture of everything that’s going to be included in the mural.”

Brown said they received grants from the Broken Arrow Community Foundation and the City of Broken Arrow to complete the project.

The location of this mural is at 400 S. Main Street, and a wrap party unveiling the finalized work will be Thursday, June 3 from 5 – 7 PM.

To see more of Barboza’s work, go to: https://www.carlosbarboza.com.

To reach The Museum Broaken Arrow, call 918-258-2616.

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