Indio Arts Commission picks three muralists for park restrooms, flags cultural accuracy concerns

The Indio Public Arts Commission voted Tuesday to recommend three muralists for a park restroom mural project and forward the selections to the city council for final approval, while also raising concerns throughout the evening about cultural and ecological accuracy in several of the submitted designs.

The commission unanimously recommended Patrick Barwinski for Dr. Carreon Park, Saul Gonzalez’s warm-tone design for Miles Avenue Park, and Michelle Guerrero’s tortoise-and-bicycle design for North Jackson Park, with a total budget of $30,000 — $10,000 per mural.

The selections came after nine finalists presented their proposals to the commission, each given five minutes to present followed by two minutes of questions. The nine were chosen by an ad hoc committee from 26 original proposals submitted in response to a request for proposals.

Throughout the evening, Vice Chair E.J. Neumeyer repeatedly raised concerns about designs that depicted plants and animals not native to the Indio area. Several artists had incorporated saguaro cactus and California quail into their concepts — neither of which is native to the Coachella Valley desert.

“Saguaro cactus, we’re gonna see a lot of that in today’s presentation, are not actually native to here,” Neumeyer told one presenter. “I would maybe suggest altering that.”

Neumeyer also raised concerns about imagery in one proposal that he said depicted a casino not located within the city of Indio and showed powwow dancers in Plains Indian regalia — attire he said was not representative of local tribal communities.

“It was just all over the board,” Neumeyer said of that proposal. “I didn’t think it was a very appropriate or well thought out design.”

Several artists acknowledged the feedback and said they were open to revisions. One presenter, Vanessa Gomez, had incorporated quail into her design and agreed to update the image to depict the Gambel’s quail, which is native to the desert, after Neumeyer pointed out the distinction.

The three recommended artists each proposed designs rooted in themes of community, nature, and Indio’s identity. Barwinski, who presented in person, described his concept — titled “Garden of Life” — as centered on the words unity, hope and growth, represented through butterflies, flowers, and color.

Guerrero, a Los Angeles-based muralist with experience working with clients including Nike, the NFL, and the Los Angeles Dodgers, proposed a design for North Jackson Park that incorporated desert plants, a tortoise, and bicycles — imagery tied to the park’s connection to cycling trails and a nearby school.

Gonzalez did not attend the meeting in person, but staff presented his proposal, which featured warm-tone colors and imagery the commission found well-suited to the Miles Avenue Park site, which is located near a history museum.

The commission’s recommendation now goes to the Indio City Council for final approval and appropriation of the $30,000 budget.

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