New mural honors firefighters and explores Indigenous approaches to caring for California’s fire-adapted landscape.
VALENCIA, Calif. — Sept. 29, 2026 — California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) will bring together students, first responders, civic leaders and community members for the unveiling of a new student-designed and-created mural honoring firefighters and exploring Indigenous approaches to caring for California’s fire-adapted landscape.
The unveiling will take place:
Date: Friday, Oct. 16, 2026
Time: 4-6 pm
Local media, elected officials, civic leaders, first responders and members of the greater Santa Clarita Valley community are invited to join CalArts students, faculty, staff, and leadership.
Created through a CalArts mural course, Fire Ecologies and Communities, led by visiting faculty member in the School of Art, River Garza, the mural examines cultural burning, the intentional use of fire to support biodiversity, reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires and strengthen cultural connections to the land, which are part of the traditional ecological knowledge and practice by Indigenous tribes.
Students developed three proposed designs, with the final mural selected through a vote of the CalArts student body.
The four students who designed the mural, which was chosen from three student proposals, drew inspiration from Indigenous visual traditions and ecological knowledge, including Wukchumni Yokuts friendship baskets, Chumash cave paintings and Tongva histories. Circular illustrations evoke the visual storytelling found in basket weaving and cave paintings, while images of water and butterflies reflect the resilience of drought resistant plants and wildlife in the California desert.
A large sun represents warmth and the beginning of life. Its markings reference natural ochre pigments found in Indigenous cave paintings. Together, the mural elements express a collective desire to live in greater harmony with the environment.
“The mural course was designed to introduce students to Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge around fire and also how to develop a public art/mural practice,” said Garza, who led the production of the mural, which was designed by four student who helped paint it.
The project was made possible by a gift from CalArts alumnus Ryosaku Miyasaka (BFA ‘74), whose own artistic practice has been shaped by an experience with fire during his time as a student. Grateful for the firefighters who responded, Miyasaka provided funding for CalArts students to create an artwork honoring first responders.
The unveiling program wil include recognition of local firefighters and first responders and an opportunity to meet the artists involved in the project.
Media Attendance and Interviews
Members of the media will have opportunities to photograph the mural and River Garza, Steven Lam, and CalArts President Ravi S. Rajan, as well as speak to River about the mural course and working with the student who painted the mural. Light refreshments will be served.
To attend or request an interview, contact:
California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) has set the pace for educating professional artists since 1970. Offering rigorous undergraduate and graduate degree programs through six schools—Art, Critical Studies, Dance, Film/Video, Music, and Theater—CalArts champions creative excellence, critical reflection, and the development of new forms and expressions. As successive generations of faculty and alumni have helped shape the landscape of contemporary arts, the Institute first envisioned by Walt Disney encompasses a vibrant, eclectic community with global reach, inviting experimentation, independent inquiry, and active collaboration and exchange among artists, artistic disciplines, and cultural traditions.
