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Mural on the Wall (OTW)
Mural On The Wall (OTW) is a community-driven mural collective based in Vermillion, SD. Established in 2019 by founding members Reyna Hernandez, Amber Hansen, and Sonia Hernandez, the collective facilitates public art projects that prioritize local voices and regional history.
The OTW process is rooted in collective imagining, guiding community members through creative workshops that transform shared stories into a unified visual narrative. Rather than following a predetermined design, the team uses public meetings to ask residents what matters most to them—inviting a diversity of perspectives to shape the themes and metaphors of each mural. This collaborative model ensures that every artwork serves as a living archive of the people and the landscape, turning a public wall into a permanent testament to the essence of the community.
Instagram: @mural_otw
Individual Bios
REYNA HERNANDEZ is a co-founder and Lead Artist of Mural On The Wall (OTW) LLC. Based in Southeast South Dakota, her work as an Ihanktonwan Dakota/Mexican American painter explores the complexities of culture and place,drawing deep inspiration from the history of star quilters within her family. Throughout her public art work, Hernandez challenges routine depictions of the settler colonial narrative by centering Native history and contemporary Indigenous perspectives. Her process is rooted in a critical observation of representation in public spaces, utilizing cultural symbolism, metaphor, and storytelling to explore themes of identity, visibility, and erasure.
AMBER HANSEN is a muralist and visual artist who serves as a Lead Artist and co-founder of Mural On The Wall (OTW) LLC. Dedicated to the power of socially engaged and community-based art, her work exists as a continuous dialogue between her rural upbringing and her formal education. This intersection informs her practice as a community facilitator and public artist throughout the Midwest. As an Associate Professor at the University of South Dakota, she integrates academic research with collaborative community action, teaching painting and leading projects that transform public environments. Hansen is also the co-director and co-editor of the feature documentary Called to Walls, which explores the complex and transformative process of community-based mural making.
SONIA HERNANDEZ is an Ihaŋktoŋwaŋ Dakota and Mexican American co-founder of Mural On The Wall (OTW) LLC. Drawing on over ten years of experience in the nonprofit sector and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History from the University of South Dakota, she leads historical research for the collective’s community-based art initiatives. Currently, she manages the W. H. Over Museum Gift Shop, overseeing a diverse collection of Indigenous artworks for sale. Hernandez also operates TAWÁČIN Jewelry by Sonia Hernandez, where she creates and sells her handcrafted, Native-made jewelry.
www.tawacinjewelry.bigcartel.com