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"My Life Matters" (mural of an African American boy titled, Miles) by the artist and muralist LMNOPI (Addition 8) 2023-0102, After 2014

 File — Box: 2, Folder: 10

Scope and Contents

Addition 8 of MSS 16758,The University of Virginia Collection on the History of Childhood, Parenting, and Family Building, contains a signed broadside print (11 X 8.5 inches) titled "My Life Matters" by the artist and muralist LMNOPI.

The signed print based on muralist LMNOPI's wheat-pasted street art, is originally produced in response to the Ferguson protests. Artist LMNOPI writes: "This painting was inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement which originated in Ferguson, Missouri last year in response to the police murder of Mike Brown. I have been doing a series of street paste ups around this movement."

LMNOPI found this image of a young protestor online, eventually identifying the child as a boy named Myles. The image of Myles warily clutching his protest sign (#DontShoot #Ferguson #YourLifeMatters), pasted up on the door of an a condemned factory in Bedford-Stuyvesant, became part of the community: "The wheatpaste of Myles was much loved by local residents. Often I would observe people taking photos of it on their way to work. I saw many people post it on Instagram. It even survived a local graffiti bomb squad who came through last winter during a snowstorm. They tagged up the entire wall, but did not touch Myles."

Source from LMNOPI's website: lmnopi.com/my-life-matters.

Dates

  • Creation: After 2014

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research use.

Full Extent

0.04 Cubic Feet (print 11x8.5 legal size folder)

Language of Materials

English

Repository Details

Part of the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library Repository

Contact:
Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library
P.O. Box 400110
University of Virginia
Charlottesville Virginia 22904-4110 United States