Public art can shout in protest – and remind us of our shared humanity | Column
In Biddeford, a freshly completed mural on the exterior of Stem & Vine at the corner of Alfred Street and Main Street honors Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero and his young daughter. The artwork, finished in August 2026, presents a straightforward portrait of the two figures without caption or commentary, inviting viewers to contemplate the person behind the headline.
The piece was created by Maine‑based artists Ryan Adams, Rachel Gloria Adams and Erica Sedler, who have been producing large‑scale public murals across the state for more than two decades. Their portfolio includes works that address immigration, police conduct, race and civil‑rights issues in locations such as Lewiston, Portland and other Maine communities. The Adamses say the Biddeford mural is intended to “highlight the humanity” of the deceased, reminding the public that he was a community member with a family, a job and a life that mattered.
“It is not necessarily a political statement, but more or less just: ‘Let us not forget that this was a human being who had a whole life of experiences, had family, had friends, had jobs…’” Ryan Adams explained. “It is paramount that we remember he was killed unjustly, for no reason.”
Rachel Adams added that their presence in predominantly white neighborhoods can itself be a political act. “Even when we’re not doing work that has a political narrative, our presence can kind of stir that up … just being black in these all‑white spaces is a political act within itself,” she said.
The mural’s creation was not without risk. Ryan Adams described the physical danger involved in painting in public spaces: “It’s true that we’ve been in very scary situations just for painting… not only for the political pieces, for just literally existing in the space… and that’s just what happens immediately, when we’re actually physically there. Afterwards, when the image hits whatever news cycle it’s going to hit, then you have the online side of it, where sometimes people are nasty, people are mean, people are scary. We have to be very, very, very careful. I’m like: we have a family.”
The couple emphasized that their partnership and the support of friends have been essential in sustaining their work. “I would put that up around like maybe 500, 600… still, you’re not going to scare me away from doing something I love. That’s definitely not happening,” Ryan said, underscoring their commitment despite threats and online harassment.
The Biddeford mural joins a series of public artworks that aim to re‑ground first principles in the face of violent actions. By portraying a father and his daughter, the piece reframes a tragic encounter that began as a federal enforcement operation into a broader meditation on humanity, memory and community belonging. As the Adamses continue to paint across Maine, their work remains a visible conduit for public dialogue, using the immediacy of street art to confront difficult subjects and to keep the conversation about justice and remembrance alive.
