DENVER, Colorado — A mural outside of a North Denver grocery store depicts a cocoa farmer from Sierra Leone and the importance of fair trade.
The mural was commissioned as part of a larger nationwide campaign to highlight how consumers have the opportunity to play a role in creating trade systems that prioritize people and the environment.
"It’s just a representation of life, and I think honoring somebody who is quite literally growing life is a beautiful way to do that," said Chelsea Lewinski, the artist behind the mural at North Denver's Leevers Locavore.
The farmer in the mural, Salamatu Katta, took over her family cocoa farm after her father passed away. During her school holidays, she would work on her dad's cocoa farm. Fast forward several years later, she is now running the operation while creating jobs in her community.
When approached with the idea, Lewinski saw various photos of Katta to base her portrait on.
"I picked the one [picture] of her holding the cocoa bean plant and my style of art. I love painting realism with very rich colors and high contrast and very saturated, high saturation," Lewinski said. "But I also get to represent a woman that’s doing wonderful things in the world and taking steps to better a situation and better her community as well. So for me, it just really aligned in the sense that we are all just trying to represent our communities and trying to push people into better conditions."
Lewinski is a renowned street artist, who is most know for her portraits and vibrant colors used in her work - evident in her newest mural.
"My favorite part of any mural that I do is usually the portrait or the human aspect of it, because in a lot of my work, I feel like my art has represented adversity and hope and just painting the human experience as a whole, and so for me, I really love painting portraits," Lewinski said.
The mural was commissioned in celebration of Fairtrade Month through a partnership between Fairtrade America, Leevers Locavore and Hu's Kitchen, which uses the beans grown by Katta to create their chocolate bars.
Denver's mural is part of a larger campaign called "We are Fairtrade," now in its fifth year. The other 2024 murals are in Boise, Idaho and Buffalo, New York.
"They do murals during Fairtrade Month every year. It’s a way for them to engage in the community, a way for them to support local artists and obviously support farmers and a good cause," Lewinski said.
Lewinski said this project was an opportunity for her to learn more about fair trade, which prioritizes paying farmers fair wages. Many come from developing countries. The farmers who feed the world are often in positions where they may not earn enough to feed themselves and their families, according to Fairtrade America.
"I want people to feel inspired and proud of their local grocery store that we are all pushing for more ethical choices and our food choices and how we support farmers and offer fair wages," Lewinski said.
As part of their campaign, through Oct. 31, shoppers can also enter for a chance to win the Fairtrade Month Grand Prize Giveaway.
