Celebrating Indigenous Stories at Mendocino Headlands State Park

Interview with artists Bonnie Lockhart, Meyo Marrufo, and Eric Wilder

TILE ART PROJECT AT THE MENDOCINO HEADLANDS STATE PARK

MendoParks and the Mendocino Art Center are pleased to announce a collaborative tile art project at the new Ford House restrooms at the Mendocino Headlands State Park in Mendocino, featuring original artwork by contemporary Pomo artists Bonnie Lockhart (Northern Pomo, Kai Poma), Meyo Marrufo (Eastern Pomo), and Eric Wilder (Southwest Pomo). In 2013, MendoParks began a lengthy planning process with California State Parks to fund the remodel of the only public restroom in the village of Mendocino, the Ford House restrooms at the Mendocino Headlands State Park. The goal of the remodel was to add ADA accessible facilities and increase the number of facilities at the restroom. With support of local architect Debra Lennox, a design for the restrooms was created to complement the historic Ford House Visitor Center and Museum, as well as the aesthetic of Mendocino. The project features an original tile art mural as part of the restroom interior, in the quintessential artistic spirit of Mendocino.

Lockhart, Wilder, and Marrufo conceptualized themes celebrating the lifeways of Coastal Pomo people and began a truly collaborative art project with each artist painting different themes and sections of the murals:

“Through the creation of six unique murals incorporating land, sea, plants, and animals, the murals were created to share who we are and what we are, instead of having a disconnect of where we are. We hope this project increases the inclusion and recognition of the individuality of the Native American people of Mendocino County. We would like the viewer to understand that the California Native Pomo people are not gone from our communities. As Native people, we have merged our traditional culture with contemporary art. We share our story and through our art, and we show the world that we are still here. Yes, we are basket weavers, but we are more than basket weavers.

This venue allows for three different artists from three different Pomo regions to honor the cultural landscape and lifeways of the Pomo people. This is about our continued resilience, it’s about how we still maintain strong ties to our land. It's about where we still come for ceremony, family events, gathering, and religious observances, and how we are still a part of the landscape-We don’t only show that through our art but through our name places, our traditional land management practices, and the sharing of ourselves.

We are still here.”

We believe in the power of art, and the power of nature, to educate, heal, and nurture our communities, and see the tile art project as one of many steps our organizations and community can take towards supporting the original caretakers of the Mendocino Coast, the Northern and Coastal Pomo, Cahto, and Yuki tribes.  The Mendocino Art Center, MendoParks, and the artists hope you will enjoy viewing this project when you visit the Mendocino Headlands State Park, and that the artwork will inspire you to learn more about and support the Indigenous people in your home community. Thank you to our generous funders who made the tile art project possible: The Community Foundation of Mendocino County, George and Ruth Bradford Foundation, Visit Mendocino County, Mendocino Art Center, and all the park-supporters in the MendoParks family!