Generosity, Cal Poly University, San Luis Obispo, CA, USA
The mural speaks to several themes, including recognizing the valuable contributions of farm laborers on the Central Coast and the agricultural bounty of our region, as well as Cal Poly’s student contributions to the field of agriculture. It also aims to encourage student and community interaction.
The artist describes the title of the mural, “Generosity,” as being synonymous with abundance: “Nature is generous to us. Overflowing gifts from nature, generous trees fruiting, generous earth sprouting, generous hands working and offering, and generous minds in teaching. Generosity keeps life abundant.”
The central panel celebrates the agricultural bounty of the Central Coast. Referencing iconic Central Coast landmarks such as the sand dunes, unfettered coastline, fields and orchards. Celebratory touchstones that bend pictorial spaces offering multiple perspectives of topography and agrestic production.
The left panel is an indirect and unexpected way of taking a figurative look at the life of farm laborers and agricultural workers — showing another side of their essential work that makes the agricultural bounty of the Central Coast possible. The viewer sees their car and lunch cooler that indicates communal experiences of daily work and serves as a visual tribute demonstrating generosity and reciprocity. The workers themselves are unseen. The omission of the figures is a visual metaphor, addressing their often underrecognized contributions to society. Oftentimes their labor and the vital role that they play in maintaining our food systems is overlooked. The scene humbly honors them for the contributions they make to our daily lives.
The right panel emphasizes the artist’s interpretation of Cal Polyʼs hands-on curriculum, exemplifying the Learn by Doing ethos of Cal Poly. The panel introduces livestock, animal husbandry, and rodeo — an activity that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding and has been a part of the university's history since 1939. This panel was inspired by historic photographs found in Kennedy Library’s University Archives.