Hummingbirds

Bright green, sword-shaped leaves grace a painted utility box at the corner of Stanley and First Street and form the vertical foliage for red Crocosmia blossoms and two feeding hummingbirds. Especially attractive to hummingbirds because of its tubular shape and bright red color, the red Crocosmia is ideally suited to a full sun planting in Pleasanton. Arching spikes of scarlet to crimson flared nectar-rich rich tubular flowers attract not only hummingbirds but also butterflies and bees.

Located in a region once inhabited by Ohlone Peoples, this artwork takes on deeper meaning when viewed through an Indigenous lens.

Artist, graphic designer, and illustrator Irma Grant is a teacher at heart, as she reveals the story of the hummingbird in vivid imagery. By choosing the hummingbird as her subject, Grant honors not only the natural beauty of the Bay Area but the Ohlone ancestral connection between people, land, and spirit. It is this respect for nature, coupled with the recognition of resilience and joy, that speaks of the first people of this land.

The Mutsun Ohlone word for hummingbird is “mu-mu-nya”. Its remarkable abilities—hovering mid-air, flying backwards, flapping 12 to 80 times per second, and consuming nectar and insects such as mosquitoes, gnats, fruit flies, aphids, and spiders—make it a symbol of endurance and agility.

Born and raised in the Netherlands, Irma Grant later lived in Canada and Sweden. While in France, she studied fine art at Paul Valery University of Montpellier, training in classical methods and the French language. She is also the artist of “Pedals in the Wind” and another painted utility box in Pleasanton titled “Children at Play”.

“Hummingbirds” was completed under a stipend from Pleasanton’s Public Art Acquisition Fund in 2018 and additional sponsorship from JoAnne Rossi Becker. Project Paint Box’s intention was to discourage graffiti and enliven the community with expressive art from local artists. This artwork does more than that. It became an artist’s tribute to the first peoples of this valley and their enduring relationship with the creatures that still inhabit their homeland.

Jan Coleman-Knight