8 Stages of the Life of a Chicana

This mural is currently being restored by first-time Lead Muralists, Gerardo and Cardee Garcia. The restored mural will be blessed in early April, 2004. Stay tuned for more information on the mural blessing and dedication.

Garardo and Cardee work on the restoration of the "8 stages" mural, originally created by Cruz Ortiz and community youth.

Location: Trinity and Tampico

Mural Dimension: 40’ X 7’

Lead Artist: Cruz Ortiz, Carlos Espinosa, Jackie Riojas, neighborhood youth

Blessing and dedication date: December 23, 1995 

Description of mural: 8 stages follows the life and cultural/spiritual education and growth of a Chicana living in the Westside of San Anto.  From birth, to adolescence, to wife, to senior citizen, “8 Stages” allegorically tells the tale of one woman’s journey through life, love, and happiness.  An interesting note regarding the design  of this mural is that the theme was developed and inspired by the structure of the wall.  The lead artists and mural crew, consisting of middle and high school students from in and around the Alazan-Apache Public Housing neighborhood, utilized the 8 paneled wall, located at the Santa Cruz Day Care Center, to create a life-sized, public story book.  This mural is scheduled for restoration in late 2001 or early 2002.  This mural was featured, without authorization, in a major Coca Cola commercial.

Flower Power

Location: 913 S. Brazos

Mural Dimension: Entire facade of building

Lead Artists:  Sammie Estrada, Janette Torres, Crystal Torres, Angela Ibarra, Julie Ybarra, Sharon Ybarra

Facilitator:  Patti Radle

Blessing and dedication date: May 8th, 1999

Mural Description:  Flower Power was designed and painted by 7 elementary and middle school girls under the supervision and facilitation of Patti Radle.  The mural, located at Giovanni’s Pizzeria, features colorful flowers and native plants painted on giant planters and on the front facade of the neighborhood eatery.  The mural brightens, enlivens and compliments this already bustling Westside San Anto intersection.  

Insomne De Amor

Location: 2402 S. Zarzamora & Fran Fran

Mural Dimension: 42’ X 15’

Lead Artist: Rigoberto Luna

Blessing and dedication date: August 14th, 1999

Mural Description: This was San Anto Cultural Arts’ third mural in 1999 and the first for 18 year-old lead artist Rigoberto Luna.  Rigoberto’s mural Insomne de Amor is a deeply moving piece depicting the bonds that tie family and community together: a father greeting his children after a hard day’s work, a grandmother rocking a grandchild, an elderly couple enjoying an evening of Conjunto dancing, a mother caressing her children, a grandfather enjoying the sight of a loving family and a couple in a heartfelt embrace.  The mural is complemented nicely with soft, warm colors that seem to uplift the formerly dreary Westside San Antonio intersection. 

As a student at Southwest High School, Rigoberto got involved with the San Anto Cultural Arts Mural Project working as a crew member of a past mural project, Leyendas Aztecas, under the direction of Israel “Izzy” Rico.  In June of 1999, Rigoberto was assigned his first project as a first-time lead artist and immediately began developing his sketch, searching for walls, conducting a community survey and painting the actual mural. 
“When I went into it I kinda wanted to do it for myself, but as time went on and I noticed that the community appreciated it - the mural had an effect on them - the wall became more theirs than mine.”-Rigoberto Luna 

Una Mesa Para la Gente

Location: N. Zarzamora & Salinas Sts. 

Mural Dimension: 30’ X 30’

Lead Artist: Cruz Ortiz and Lisa Vera Cruz

Blessing and dedication date: February 26th, 2000

Description of Mural: Una Mesa Para la Gente is a community mural that reflects the beauty of people coming together at a table and offering each other their experiences, knowledge, and skills. At the table are people from different walks of life as well as local historical heroes and heroines.

Starting from the top left hand corner: A hotel worker; Lydia Mendoza (Tejana conjunto pioneer); a mechanic; an abuelita offering her bowl of delicious caldo, a zapatista (Mexican human rights activist) offering his knowledge of human rights; Jesus Christ offering his teachings of love; a young man in a wheel chair; a single parent, a conjunto musician offering his music, a vato loco offering his artistic skills, a young Chicana student; Emma Tenayuca (a San Anto labor rights activist) offering hope; and Emiliano Zapata (Mexican land right activist) offering the Aztec symbol of Movement.

Heavy Metal

Location: S. Brazos & Laredo Sts.

Mural Dimension: 85’ X 25’

Lead Artists: Adrian Fernandez, Alex Fernandez, Wolfee, Louis Tijerina, Prince Beard

Facilitators:  Linda Gonzales, Rose Pastrano, Cruz Ortiz

Blessing and dedication date: September 23, 2000

Description of Mural: The mural Heavy Metal was a year-long collaboration between San Anto Cultural Arts and Alamo Achievement Center Alternative High School (in the San Antonio Independent School District). The mural theme depicts the battle between good and evil forces in a medieval setting. In the middle of this confrontation is a river (Alazan Creek) representing the obstacles that residents of the neighborhood surrounding this mural (Alazan-Apache Housing Projects) have to overcome on a daily basis. A large crane, representing hope, brings together the forces of good and evil. The mural design was created by Adrian Fernandez, an 11th grader at Alamo Achievement Center Alternative High School. The mural crew was made up of Alamo Achievement and Lanier High School students. The crew is currently working on their second mural.

Peace and Remembrance

Location: February 24th, 2001

Mural Dimension: 40’ X 20’

Lead Artists: Crystal Torres, Angela Ybarra, Julie Ibarra, Katie Bone

Facilitators:  Patti Radle, Claudio Aguillon

Blessing and dedication date: February 24th, 2001

Description of Mural: This mural is dedicated to people of the immediate community who have been victims of violence. It was designed by an all-women crew of four artists - one was twelve and three were thirteen. The names of the victims are on the wall and the wall serves as a functional altar for the surrounding community.  Flower holders are mounted onto the wall so that residents are able to remember and memorialize loved ones.
Several years back, after the violent deaths of Charles “Chucky” Hernandez, neighborhood teens sprayed painted a mural on this same wall, in loving memory to Chucky. After a year, that mural was painted over.  The neighborhood wanted to continue the memory of Chucky and others who have died of violence in this barrio but the goal was to do it by presenting an image that would make people think of the idea of peace when confronted with violence.  The crew thought of happy scenes: the park, friends who support one another, religious symbols that give us strength, the idea of Our Lady of Guadalupe being active in our lives. The ideas came together in the mural you see today.

Martin Luther King Peace Mural

Location: New Braunfels St. Bridge - Eastside San Anto

Mural Dimension: 45’ X 20’

Lead Artist: Juan Ramos (designer), Tim Jones (painter)

Blessing and dedication date:

Description of Mural:  This project was part of an effort by an Eastside San Antonio resident to memorialize the slain civil rights leader. 

Nicho Para la Virgen De Guadalupe

Location: San Jacinto Senior Home

Mural Dimension: 8’ X12’

Lead Artists: Mary Agnes Rodriguez & Janie Tabares Orneles

Project Facilitators: Cruz Ortiz, Alex Rubio

Blessing and dedication date: August 4th, 2001

Mary and Janie hard at work on the Nicho Mural.

Description of Mural: On August the 5th, San Anto Cultural Arts' Mural Project unveiled its’ 18th mural. This mural is unlike any other we’ve created. Not only was it a cooperative work between senior citizens from the San Jacinto homes but also the first portable panel mural for San Anto. The lead artists are Janie Tabares-Ornelaz and Mary Agnes Rodriguez. The mural depicts the mestizo influence of altars and devotional nichos throughout the Westside San Antonio. The vibrant image of the Virgin Mary prevails among mountains and over a cloudy sky. Cactus rise from her feet as roses surround her beauty. This painted image of our mother is a rare mural. It’s a three-dimensional, three-part, wooden panel with physical, life-like representations of cacti, roses, palomas y la Virgen de Guadalupe. San Anto Cultural Arts has hopes that this movable Nicho mural will be able to travel around the city to various sites. Hopefully, this mural will be able to travel farther than the San Antonio vicinity, and eventually make it’s way around Tejas, and the U.S. The mural is presently located at the San Jacinto senior home solarium. The mural will be permanently installed on the east wall of the complex for all to enjoy. If you’re interested in visiting the mural, call Pat at the San Jacinto Homes, to schedule a visit.

The crowd gathers at the mural blessing and dedication.

Mano a Mano

Location: Corner of Pinto and Commerce

Mural Dimension: 42’ X 20”

Lead Artists: Janette Torres, Juan Ramos, Mike Roman

Blessing and dedication date: February 27th, 1999

Description of Mural: Mano a Mano was San Anto Cultural Arts’ first commission.  The mural was created for the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies annual conference and commissioned by People En Español Magazine. The mural features three distinct visions of the phrase “Mano a Mano”; which serves as a public outcry of the need for socio-economic and cultural unity within our society. The mural was designed, completed, and blessed in a month; the quickest mural creation by our organization.

End Barrio Warfare

Location: Guadalupe and Chupaderas

Mural Dimension:  25’ X 25”

Lead Artist: Augustine “Fugi” Villa, Lisa Mendiola, Sonny Mendiola

Blessing and dedication date: October 31st, 1998

Mural Description: This mural is located on the corner of Guadalupe and Chupaderas, on the De La Peña Pawnshop. Entitled End Barrio Warfare, the mural is dedicated to the effort to end barrio violence.  A woman of peace and beauty is the centerpiece of the mural, symbolizing the beauty that can be found in the barrio. She appears on top of a heap of burning guns, an end to senseless killing. Zoot Suiters and a lowrider flank the sides along with the cityscape. Hidden within the mural are aztec figures, representing the culture and heritage of the barrio.  The lead muralists for this project were Augustin “Fugi” Villa and sibling muralists Lisa & Sonny Mendiola.

Salvacíon

Location: 2120 El Paso (Corner of El Paso & Chupaderas)

Mural Dimensions: 17’ X 40’

Lead Artist: Michael Roman

Blessing and dedication date: June 20th, 1998

Mike Roman paints and meditates.

Description of mural: First-time muralist Mike Roman created Salvacion.  The mural depicts the energy of love, salvation and peace around the image of Jesus Christ flanked by two angels with outreached hands.  The angels’ hands are reaching to touch a pair of imprisoned arms that are stretched out from two windows of the wall that were transformed into prison bars by the artist.  Located within a barrio just north of Guadalupe St., this mural has become a place of worship and meditation for local street workers and tecatos (heroin addicts) who may not feel comfortable or welcomed at a church or other traditional place of worship.

Barrio Jungle

Location: El Paso and San Jacinto Sts.

Mural Dimension: Entire Building

Lead Artist: Cindy Magallanez

Blessing and dedication date: October 11th, 1997

Mural Description: Barrio Jungle muralist Cindy Magallanez said, “Some people call our neighborhood a jungle.  Well, I’m going to give them a beautiful jungle.”  Cindy, who grew up and was raising her 5 children in the Alazan-Apache Housing Projects, created this mural as a gift to the barrio where she grew up.  Unfortunately, Cindy was only able to complete half of the mural due to death threats she received from a recently released inmate.  The man had been convicted for murdering Cindy’s husband years earlier and was seeking revenge on her and her young children.  Cindy fled the city and barrio that she loved dearly.  The mural, complete with lion, tiger, whale, mermaid, giraffe, and other spirited creatures, was completed as a collective venture by community youth and adult residents.  The colorful mural was featured in a music video by Tejano musical group, La Diferenzia.

Basta Con La Violencia

Location:  Nogalitos and Glass

Mural Dimension: 20’ X 20”

Lead Artist:  Isreal “Izzy” Rico

Blessing and dedication: April 12, 1997

Description of Mural:  The mural Basta Con La Violencia is dedicated to the memory of labor leader and United Farm Worker founder, Cesar Chavez.  Mr. Rico utilizes the slogans Basta Con La Violencia and Si Se Puede to create a strong message of non-violence and dedication to community activism.  The public art piece memorializes and symbolizes the struggles and hardships that Cesar Chavez, boycotting marchers, and farm workers experienced during the height - 60’s and 70’s - of the UFW’s battle for farm worker civil and human rights.  Que viva la causa, que viva Cesar Chavez!  

Community Garden

Location:  West Commerce

Mural dimension:

Lead Artists:  Katja Kohler, William Crittenden, Jackie Riojas, Josh Viela, Cassiano Homes youth participants

Blessing and dedication date: August 9th, 1996

Mural Description: Recent transplant from Guatemala by way of California, mural project facilitator Katja Kohler, possessed a natural and extraordinary talent for working with youth and community.  The team of Katja and teenage lead artists, Jackie Riojas, William Crittenden and Josh Viella, created a spectacular mural that continues to compliment the actual community garden lot where the mural is located.  The mural was created to reflect and inspire those community residents responsible for the beauty and process of the seasonal harvests.

Comprando y Prestando

Location: 1424 Guadalupe - Corner of Guadalupe and San Jacinto

Mural Dimension: 35’ X 16’

Lead Artist: Mary Helen Herrera

Blessing and dedication date: May 4th, 1996

Description of mural: As a single mother living in the Alazan-Apache Housing Projects, Mary Helen Herrera always had aspirations of developing and showcasing her natural artistic talents. After reading about the mural project in El Placazo Barrio News, Mary Helen was soon on her way to developing her first mural, Comprando y Prestando. Located on the west wall of El Parian, a Westside neighborhood mom and pop retail and service market, Comprando y Prestando depicts a culturally and environmentally rich people sharing, buying and trading with one another. The mural symbolizes the dream of an economically self sufficient community that relies and survives on the gifts granted to us by our mother earth and nurtured by the inhabitants of this land. This mural was featured in a music video by Tejana musician, Patsy Torres.

Familia y Cultura es Vida

Location: Guadalupe and Calaveras

Mural Dimension:  22’ X 9’

Lead Artist: Debbie Esparza and Juan Ramos

Blessing and dedication date:  May 6th, 1995

Mural Description:  Familia is the best example of direct documentation, through muralism, of barrio culture as it existed at that particular place and time.  The mural is located on a building that, up until 1999, was home to  Westside resident and neighborhood mechanic/accordionist, Paul Morada.  On weekend nights, Paul and friends, collectively known as Los Guadalupanos (in honor of their dedication to the Virgen De Guadalupe and the street where their music and art was created, Guadalupe St.), would gather on the front porch of Paul’s home/mechanic shop and play Conjunto music till the wee hours of the night.  Mr. Morada would go from rebuilding a carbeurator to reconstructing “Tu Traicion” by Cornelio Reyna in just a few hours. The mural was inspired by this ritual and depicts one such scene as visualized through the eyes of the artists: 12 year-old Debbie Esparza and co-founder Juan Ramos.  This mural was featured in a music video by Chicano music legends, The Royal Jesters.

Educacion

Location:  Corner of Chupaderas & Guadalupe Sts.

Lead Artists:  Cruz Ortiz & Juan Ramos

Mural Dimension:  18’ X 20’

Blessing and dedication date:  July 16, 1994

Mural Description:  Educacion was created as a response to the perceived gang violence and drive-by shooting epidemic of the Westside during the early ‘90s.  As San Anto Cultural Arts’ first mural, this piece sends a message of hope and dignity through socio-cultural identity and education.  This mural was restored by Juan Ramos and re-blessed on August 28th, 1999.

Leyendas Aztecas

Mural Dimensions: 18’ X 80’

Lead Artist: Israel “Izzy” Rico

Blessing and dedication date: September 12th, 1998

Description of mural: This was the second mural for lead artist Israel “Izzy” Rico.  The 18’x 80’ mural was conceived by Mr. Rico and took over a year to complete along with the help of Krystal Gonzalez (10th grade Burbank HS apprentice) and 66 other community participants.  The vibrant mural depicts Aztec mythology from the codices and the three ranks of the Aztec Empire (emperor, jaguar warrior & priest).  “For a long time I have wanted to produce a mural depicting Aztec mythology that Chicanos

Location: 1305 S. Brazos (Corner of Brazos & Tampico)