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About the Artwork

New Mural at the Roseville Adult Learning Center!

The Roseville Adult Learning Center has a beautiful new mural, thanks to talented artist and former student Jackie Yang! This mural is an incredible gift to our building and our community.

Artist Jackie Yang was born in Laos but had to leave the country at age 14 as a refugee. Despite harsh conditions at the refugee camp in Thailand, Jackie persevered as he began to learn English and discover his passion for art. He started painting many of the planes and helicopters that flew over his refugee camp, and he says that he was in awe of the physics he was witnessing above him. Jackie explains that painting planes was good practice for portraying 3D objects and movement as an artist.

During his time in Thailand, Jackie also began to paint colorful murals in people's homes. He was even hired as a sign painter in the refugee camp in order to help educate the community on sanitation and health matters. 

Once Jackie came to the United States, he pursued his diploma at the Roseville Adult Learning Center and then received his Associate of Arts degree at Inver Hills Community College. Jackie's artwork and background have continued to gain attention and admiration from others. He has created many impressive murals and ceramic sculptures, and he even painted storyboards for the PBS documentary Hmong Pioneers.

"Everything I draw is from my memory, from my life,” says Jackie.

With this newest mural, Jackie hopes to highlight the immigrant and refugee presence both across the globe and here locally in the Twin Cities. He intends to celebrate and highlight different cultural events, clothing, and geographic landmarks.

In the mural, you can see people from Laos, a mosque from Somalia, the city of Mogadishu, the Minneapolis and St. Paul landscape, a Dakota celebration, a volcano from Peru, and other images that are meaningful to our students at the Roseville Adult Learning Center. Jackie hopes that his artwork will make others feel interested, inspired, and represented.

Support Jackie's art by checking out his Facebook page and sharing his work!

THANK YOU, Jackie!