Joel in Cape Verde, West Africa: The President of Cape Verde visits Joel

Saturday, January 22, 2011

The President of Cape Verde visits Joel

As I was working on the mural, the president of Cape Verde, Pedro Pires, stopped by to meet me and see the artwork. We chatted and took pictures, and the president said he liked the artwork and couldn't wait to see the end result.

About Joel Bergner

Joel Bergner is an award-winning mural artist whose work, focusing on issues of culture, diversity and history, explores a variety of local and international social issues. His murals are brightly- colored, intense and detailed, and are currently on display in many US cities such as Washington DC, San Francisco, Chicago and Baltimore, and abroad in Brazil, Cuba, El Salvador and Peru, and most recently in Cape Verde, West Africa. Joel leads youth mural projects and collaborates with community groups, organizations and fellow artists. Last year Joel was a featured artist in the Amnesty International Human Right Art Festival. Joel’s artwork is heavily inspired by his community-based work, including positions with a variety of non-profit organizations. He has taught in a juvenile detention center and has worked with foster youth, international refugees, the homeless and the mentally ill. He spent years counseling marginalized youth who were struggling with issues such as violence, prostitution, and drugs. For more information on Joel and images of work, click here to see his website.