Fairtrade Mural Coming to Lawrence Store

October is Fair Trade Month, and to celebrate Fairtrade America is launching their annual mural campaign “We Are Fairtrade” to generate broader awareness of Fairtrade certified products and values through public art. Our Lawrence store was selected to be one of three recipients of a mural, courtesy of Fairtrade America!

On September 5, the Lawrence City Commissioners gave their final approval of the mural design. Installation will begin this week!

During the painting process, the passthrough on the north side of the building will be closed when the artists are on site and the ATM will be inaccessible. We apologize for any inconvenience. Mainstreet Credit Union is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

About the Mural & “We Are Fairtrade”

Art has sparked conversations on social justice issues and hope for change for generations. That’s why we decided to create the We Are Fairtrade mural campaign – to celebrate the often unseen people who grow products we use everyday like coffee, cocoa and bananas and bring to light the challenges that they face because of unfair trade. By choosing Fairtrade, you are choosing a world where farmers and workers get a fair deal, women thrive and the environment is prioritized.
Fairtrade America

Employing local artists, these murals connect consumers to the origins of their food and the positive impacts of Fairtrade. This mural will serve as a vibrant celebration and reminder of how both good food and cooperatives help bring people together, locally and globally.

Local artists Rodrigo Alvarez and Isaac Tapia of IT-RA Icons (pictured below) will complete the mural featuring Fairtrade farmer Joselinda Manueles, who grows coffee beans for the Fairtrade brand Kicking Horse Coffee.

Rico Alvarez and Isaac Tapia of IT-RA Icons.

Josalinda Manueles — Joselinda Manueles, Honduran Coffee Farmer

Thinking Globally. Connecting Locally.

Fairtrade America and The Merc Co+op worked together to determine what Fairtrade farmer would be featured, how and by whom.

Of all the Fairtrade products on the market, we first determined which were sold at our store at 9th and Iowa. We wanted to highlight a brand that had not been part of FTA’s previous murals with an intentional focus on a brand that supported our commitment to Inclusive Trade. Inclusive Trade businesses are owned by people who identify as women, Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), LGBTQIA+, persons with disabilities and veterans.

Fairtrade America researched and worked to meet farmers that grow and sell Fairtrade goods. They presented a variety of farmers to choose from, all women operating farms in Latin America. As a co-op, we were inspired most by Joselinda Manueles for her leadership in co-founding her own cooperative. And, as the operator of our region’s largest solar installation, Joselinda’s own 30-year use of solar panels resonated with us.

About the Fairtrade Farmer

Joselinda has a coffee farm called Los Cascabeles in the south-western La Paz region of Honduras. She and Enrique Mario Pérez have been founding partners of the Café Orgánico Marcala (COMSA) cooperative since it helped them buy land 19 years ago. They agreed to share the land, and Joselinda grows her own coffee—full of stories, vitality and strength.

“When we talk about gender we are also talking about family and the generational succession,” says Joselinda.

Growing coffee is not Joselinda’s only focus; she has turned her farm into a larger project. Los Cascabeles is part of a carbon footprint capture project, one of the farms that is capturing more - and emitting less - pollution. The farm has been running on solar panels for 30 years and is committed to being a biodynamic farm and mitigating climate change.

‘Innovate’ is a key word for Joselinda, that’s what she’s been doing for 30 years, ever since she first learned about the coffee process.

“I believe that I will never die because when I am no longer physically here, my life will continue through the more than 2,000 trees that I planted. My farm was a desert when I arrived and look how it is now.”

Elana Rosenfeld co-founder of Kicking Horse Coffee

About the Fairtrade Brand

Joselinda is one of the farmers who provide beans to Kicking Horse Coffee, a specialty brand that uses only 100% certified Organic and Fairtrade Arabica beans.

Coffee is one of the most-traded commodities in the world. The trade can be volatile, unpredictable, and subject to dramatic price fluctuations. Kicking Horse, a woman-founded business, is interested in using coffee that is good and fair for both their coffee drinkers and for farmers, like Joselinda. They believe we can’t have one without the other.

About the Artists

The Merc Co+op assisted in the research of local artists and participated in the artist interviews. IT-RA Icons stood out as muralists with experience in high quality portraiture that would do Joselinda justice.

IT-RA Icons is a collaboration of Kansas City Muralist duo Isaac Tapia and Rodrigo Alvarez. The duo began working together in the summer of 2017. Since then, the artists have been commissioned to paint over 60 murals in the Kansas City metro area and beyond, including several pieces at the new Kansas City International Airport. Their diverse body of work is united by vibrant colors, evolving designs and themes that celebrate their communities and honor their identities as artists who migrated to the U.S. at a very young age.

RODRIGO “RICO” ALVAREZ

Rodrigo “Rico” Alvarez was born in the border town of Rivera in the country of Uruguay, which is also culturally shared with Brazil. At a very early age, Rodrigo noticed the richness of multicultural fusion and the importance of co-existence in everyday life. Rodrigo lived in Uruguay for 14 years and found art to be a natural comfort and a good way to ease economic hardship. Unable to overcome the country’s economy, Rodrigo and his family relocated to the United States of America.

Rodrigo attended Paseo Academy of Fine and Performing Arts. After graduating in 2007, he attended Penn Valley Metropolitan Community College. Limited by his immigration status, the dream of education faded and his artistic abilities would soon be affected by his legal impediments.

After obtaining the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status, Rodrigo was free to focus on his love of art once again. In September of 2017, Rodrigo was presented with the opportunity to make a mural for the Kansas City Public Schools District for Richardson Early Learning Center, which later proved to be a turning point in his art career. Sponsored by United Way of Greater Kansas City, and in partnership with Isaac Tapia, Rodrigo completed two murals that call Richardson Early Learning Center their home. Rodrigo and Isaac, under the banner of IT-RA, have since collaborated with beautifying the growing city of Kansas City, one street and local business at a time.

ISAAC TAPIA

Born in Mexico City, Mexico, Isaac Tapia moved to the United States in 2000, at the age of nine. He now lives in Kansas City, Missouri. He paints his surroundings, which usually incorporate the people and events he connects with.

Isaac studied at the Kansas City Art Institute from 2010-2012. Some of his works include “Virgen de Luz,” in 2011 at the Kansas City Art Institute, and he was honored to have his solo show in the Summer of 2016 at Mattie Rhodes Art Center, titled “Soul of a Dancer.”

Isaac can tell a story behind every person he paints. He works predominantly with oil, but also enjoys working with watercolors. Aside from the aforementioned interest in portraits, he also enjoys painting landscapes.

Murals by Rico and Isaac

Click to enlarge the images.

Good Food Brings Us Together.

The Merc Co+op is passionate about connecting our shoppers with the farmers who grow their food. This mural illustrates that desire for connection. As a cooperative, we champion the concept that individuals have the power to influence the market when they vote with their dollars and choose products that align with their values.

Let’s Celebrate!

We believe that Central Lawrence and the surrounding neighborhoods will benefit from this public art installation. We hope it will become a destination and part of the visual experience of visiting the nearby park and green space, as well as the surrounding businesses.

Installation will begin in September and be completed by the end of that month. We invite the community to an official unveiling celebration of the mural on Saturday, October 7 as part of Fair Trade Month and Co-op Month, as well as our store’s bi-annual Owner Appreciation Days. Stay tuned to our website for progress and details.