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sassa wilkes

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SOLIDARITY is a 100+ foot community mural honoring the West Virginia Mine Wars and the people who shaped them. Through portraiture, shared history, and collective making, this project invites people of all ages and skill levels to paint alongside one another and contribute stories, creativity, and care. Created by more than 1,000 West Virginians, SOLIDARITY is both an educational record and a living act of resistance that reclaims Appalachian identity as something rooted in dignity, solidarity, and the power of the Appalachian people. The completed mural will be installed at West Edge Factory in Huntington, WV, and unveiled on May Day 2027 (May 1st).

mother jones prints now available!

A museum-quality reproduction of Mother Jones, painted by 108 Appalachian community members, printed locally, and packaged and shipped by my friends at Mountain Mindful!

These are GORGEOUS prints on archival watercolor paper, hand-signed by me and shipped flat. Standard size for easy framing.

EVERY PENNY of the profits of these sales will go to ReCreate Appalachia so we can bring more community art to West Edge Factory and beyond!

GET YOUR MOTHER JONES PRINT HERE!
 

May Day: A Redneck Reclamation

February 19, 2026

Join me at West Edge Factory on Friday, May 1st for May Day: A Redneck Reclamation!

May Day will feature twelve digital paintings of key figures of the WV Mine Wars. These works will serve as references for a large-scale community-created mural called SOLIDARITY to be completed throughout 2026.

Community members are welcome to view the works, participate in painting mural sections on polytab mural fabric, and enjoy a poetry reading, an artist talk, and a talk about the history of May Day by Kenzie New Walker, Executive Director of the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum. The night will include live music by Thomas Jude and Matt Mullins, as well as a special performance by Huntington's own community marching band, Hoot & Holler!

This event is free and open to people of all ages. Refreshments will be served. Bring your friends and family out for a beautiful community celebration…I can’t wait to see you there!

← Portrait 1 : MOTHER JONESSOLIDARITY: A new mural project for 2026 →