New mural along Pueblo levee honors the people of Ukraine
PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- The Pueblo levee has a new mural lining the shores of the Arkansas River, one to honor the people of Ukraine and their bravery.
Cynthia Ramu, an artist and coordinator for the Pueblo Levee Mural Project, says when the war started she wanted to do something.
"Initially, I was hoping that the war would have stopped by now and it may not stop for a long time, so our goal is to just kind of keep that voice and that love going as long as we can," said Ramu.
The mural is of sunflowers, which is a symbol for Ukraine.
"They planted sunflowers around Chornobyl and in the ground in case there was a radiation leak. They grow prolific there. It’s an export for them. The seeds all the various seeds that come from Ukraine, they also sell sunflower seeds for eating, for flour or sunflower oil so you can imagine right now that that’s all being destroyed," said Ramu.
The mural has been a collaborative effort among artists that work on the levee. They've been working on it for about a month now. Ramu says it shows what can happen when people work together.
"In Pueblo, Colorado, we want to make a statement with this beautiful wall and this possibility and get more people to think about how we as humans and community can make a difference," said Ramu.
The mural for Ukraine is one of the many that line the Arkansas River as part of the Pueblo Levee Mural Project. The levee used to hold the Guinness World Record for the largest outdoor mural until the wall had to be redone.
The record is now held in South Korea, but Ramu says artists started painting again in October to regain that international title.
