Kevin Ledo, Canadian, born 1978
Buffalo Creek Memorial, 2014
Kevin Ledo’s mural acts as a memorial to honor the lives and properties lost in the 1972 Buffalo Creek disaster. The flood, as depicted in the left side of the mural, destroyed many houses and properties and was a result of slurry formed by the waste and chemicals of the coal mining industry. The dark colors portray the filth of the contaminated water that flowed through the community, countering the idea presented by the coal industry that coal is a clean energy source. Ledo also depicted most of the sky as being dark, hinting at the air pollution generated by both mountaintop removal practices and the burning of coal. The woman in the foreground holding onto a child portrays how the coal industry, and ongoing disasters created by them, are negatively impacting generations of people in the Appalachian communities. Finally, the white dove in the top left corner is a symbol of peace, which I interpret as the painter’s call for justice towards the people who are suffering at the hands of the coal industry. Label by Lindsey Smith