We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Muji Rieger. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Muji below.

Muji, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

in 2018, myself and other artists teamed up to transform one of Colorado Springs most neglected neighborhoods into a thriving arts district. Our mission was to paint every wall on the mile long stretch of the main thoroughfare passing through the Knob Hill Neighborhood. By tapping into our individual networks, we found established and aspiring street artists to volunteer their time, talent and paint in exchange for pure creative freedom, to paint murals on every wall we could get permission for.
As the art went up, business owners on the block began offering us their walls, and by 2020 we had painted 57 murals and organized two events featuring live mural painting, artist vendors, and musical line ups.
What began as an underground group of gorilla street artists and taggers making art for art for art’s sake turned into an official non profit organization called The Knob Hill Urban Arts District. Our mission is to paint every damn wall we can get our hands on, and in the process, we are creating one of Colorado Springs most iconic landmarks.
To date, Knob Hill Urban Arts District has raised over $30,000.00 towards public art, programs, and events.
We have successfully lobbied galleries and arts organizations to set up roots in knob hill. We now boast 3 galleries and two arts education facilities. individual artists are establishing studios and every summer we give at least 10 walking tours to the public, showcasing the 75 murals and counting, and organize and sponsor events ranging from Poetry festivals, art festivals featuring multiple live mural paintings to music and community engagement.
We still have thousands of walls to go before we reach our ambitious goal, but every year has been more successful than the last, so we look forward to what the future holds

Muji, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

For as long as I can remember, I was determined to be an artist. I grew up in the artists haven known as Manitou Springs CO where I ran wild and unsupervised, making trouble and art. I learned how to use spray paint as a 3rd grader tagging up the undersides of overpasses and learned to work with oil paints by bothering artists working in their studios. At the age of 16, I converted to Islam and joined the Sarwarari Qadri Sufi Order, pledging my allegiance to Sufi Sheikh in Pakistan and dedicating myself to a life of asceticism. The Sheikh recognized my desire to create art and put me on a path learning arabic calligraphy. For years, I traveled from rural compound to rural compound, selling Arabic caligraphy paintings and bootleg watches and movies out the back of my car.
At the age of 26, I made my way back home to CO. I began to expand my artistic practice and pursuing art as a profession. With time I have found my unique creative style, and continue to work at cultivating it.
My desire to transform my canvas art into big murals was the driving force behind the non profit I helped found, Knob Hill Urban Arts District. I wanted to paint whatever I wanted, free of charge, simply for the pleasure of painting. So my first mural in Knob Hill was of a big naked lady 30 feet tall,
I continue to search for walls and willing owners to let me paint, as well as give a space for aspiring street artists to build their portfolios in pursuit of a career in the arts

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Artists thrive when given freedom to do what they do best – create. The businesses KHUAD works with recognize the value of this freedom, and allow our artist to shine. Our job as a non profit is to bring these two worlds together by providing the money to pay the artists to beautify and uplift a forgotten neighborhood, while helping the local family run businesses stand out with unique art adorning their walls. This artistic eco system is a gift to the community and fully funded through donations. Donating to arts organizations like ours helps to foster a whole movement and multiple artists from every medium. Helping to build an entire art eco system is the single most impactful way society can support the arts.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Surviving as a working artist is hard. It wears you down. In my 20 plus years pursuing my passion, I have faced many overdraft fees and traversed countless empty bank accounts. I see so many artistic journeys halted by this fact. The reality is less than 1% of artists alive will achieve the glory we all secretly wish for. If there is one thing my time spent in contemplative seclusion taught me, it is that worldly pursuits will kill your joy. Conformity to the idea that you can only make art in exchange for dollar bills will prevent you from making either. Sufism taught me “die before your death” only after your lower carnal desires have rotted away and been consumed by the earth will you be able to find true success.
Once I began making art with no audience in mind, longing for no buyer, and desperate for no props, only then did I begin to sell high dollar pieces. Once I began giving my art to the ether, the ether returned the favor. Once I began to anonymously paint murals, only then did the cameras appear to take my picture and hear my story

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mujirieger.com
• Instagram: @muji.rieger
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KHUAD719
• Other: https://www.knob-hill-urban-arts-district.org/

Image Credits
Jennifer Kelly Robin Schneider