Mermaids and the Cursed Valley is a lyrical journey through Colorado’s Western Slope, where myth and landscape intertwine. Through multimedia paintings, meditations, poetic prose, and local folklore, artists Lily Cain and Lynnea Tai reimagine the region’s rivers, mesas, and mountain towns as realms of merfolk—guardians of water, memory, and transformation.
The inspiration for the series comes in part from a local rural legend: the “dirt curse.” As the story goes, early settlers were cursed by the Ute Tribe for taking the land, doomed to return to the valley no matter how far they traveled. To break the curse, one had to gather dirt from four sacred sites—the Book Cliffs, the Grand Mesa, the confluence of the rivers, and the Colorado National Monument.
Rather than focusing on the act of taking from the land, we chose to reinterpret this legend with a positive, feminine energy—celebrating the enduring relationship between people and place. The mermaids represent guardianship, harmony, and respect for the natural world.
The Western Slope of Colorado is rich in Native history, agricultural heritage, and stunning geological wonders—all of which are intricately reflected in this body of work. These creations serve as a tribute to the land that shapes us, reminding us that our bond with nature is not only historical — it’s ongoing and alive.
