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Location: 402 N. Zarzamora at Salinas
Dimensions: 22' x 17' Date: February 2000 Lead Community Muralists: Cruz Ortiz, Lisa Veracruz Restorations: 2008 - Lead Restoration Muralists Ruth Buentello and Lisa Veracruz; Restoration Mural Crew: San Antonio Youth Centers, House of Teens, Fuerza Unida Youth, Southwest Workers YLO, Cardee Garcia, Gerry Garcia, Ana Cavasos, Joseph Cavasos, Melinda Higgins, Imelda, Alejandro Padilla, Fabian Diaz, Adriana Garcia, Rico Salinas, Daisy Hernandez, Yasmin Codina, Clarissa Duran, Charlie, Ricardo Briones, Maricela Olguin, Celeste DeLuna, Alejandro, Cristina Ordonez, Arturo Morales, Eddie Chavez, Michaela Jacobson, Serenity Hernandez |
1999: Original mural
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2008: Restored mural
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Una Mesa para la Gente celebrates the diverse backgrounds, experiences, and talents that people bring to the Westside community. Painted in the iconic cartoon style of Cruz Ortiz, the mural shows twelve different people, including a chicken-footed conjunto musician, Lydia Mendoza, and Jesus Christ, sharing a family meal.
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Content and Design
This image of people from all walks of life sitting around the same table represent diversity and solidarity in the Westside community. Each person brings something to the table. From the top left corner, a hotel worker brings her skilled hands, Lydia Mendoza brings her Tejano-Conjunto music, a mechanic brings his tools, an abuelita serves a bowl of delicious caldo, a zapatista offers knowledge of human rights, Jesus Christ brights teaches on love, a young man in a wheelchair brings his story and experiences, a single parent brings her listening ear, a conjunto musician brings his instruments, a vato loco brings his artistic skills, a chicana student brings her knowledge, labor activist Emma Tenayuca brings hope, and Emiliano Zapata brings the Aztec symbol for Movement.
The restored mural is similar to the original, with a few modifications: the paintings of the sun and moon are replaced with mosaics, Jesus’ skin is a shade darker, and the vato loco artist in a bandana is replaced with with a chicana artist in glasses. The restored mural also includes a handful of smaller mosaic pieces, such as Emma Tenayuca’s speech symbols and handheld star, the abuelita’s caldo, Jesus’ sacred heart and crucifix, the conjunto musician’s musical notes, and the chicana’s paintbrush.
The restored mural is similar to the original, with a few modifications: the paintings of the sun and moon are replaced with mosaics, Jesus’ skin is a shade darker, and the vato loco artist in a bandana is replaced with with a chicana artist in glasses. The restored mural also includes a handful of smaller mosaic pieces, such as Emma Tenayuca’s speech symbols and handheld star, the abuelita’s caldo, Jesus’ sacred heart and crucifix, the conjunto musician’s musical notes, and the chicana’s paintbrush.
History
The original mural was painted at the Monterey Car Wash and blessed on February 26, 2000. San Anto Cultural Arts co-founder Cruz Ortiz co-lead this mural with Lisa Veracruz, a seventeen-year-old artist, high school senior, and mother of two. Residents of the Prospect Hill barrio help design the mural through workshops held at Divine Redeemer Presbyterian House of Neighborly Service. The mural blessing featured speeches from Manuel Castillo and Patti Radle, poetry from Victoria Garcia-Zapata and Nephtali Deleon, and live music from Sexto Sol, Aztec empire, and Manuel Mendoza, brother of Lydia Mendoza.
Ruth Buentello lead a restoration of Una Mesa para la Gente in 2009, collaborating with original artist Lisa Veracruz. Father Marty from Our Lady of Guadalupe Church blessed the restored mural at a celebration that included food catered by HEB, poetry readings from Victoria Garcia Zapata Klein and Pancho mendoza, and music by DJ Jay Jay Lopez and Sexto Sol. Although successful, the mural blessing was also a trying time because it was San Anto’s first blessing ceremony without Manny Castillo. Artists dedicated the restored mural to his memory.
Ruth Buentello lead a restoration of Una Mesa para la Gente in 2009, collaborating with original artist Lisa Veracruz. Father Marty from Our Lady of Guadalupe Church blessed the restored mural at a celebration that included food catered by HEB, poetry readings from Victoria Garcia Zapata Klein and Pancho mendoza, and music by DJ Jay Jay Lopez and Sexto Sol. Although successful, the mural blessing was also a trying time because it was San Anto’s first blessing ceremony without Manny Castillo. Artists dedicated the restored mural to his memory.
Poetry
Local poet Nephtalí Deleon wrote poems for Una Mesa's first and second mural blessings:
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Una Mesa para Todos / San Anto Cultural Arts (2000)
they say that the ghosts of people walk the streets of zarzamora ¿es la llorona loca? -- se escucha de boca en boca -- whatever it is they meet on the corner of Salinas where it crosses Zarzamora by a carwash table called “Una Mesa para Todos.” los brujos de los pinceles Cruz and Liza Veracruz y otros 8 artistas locos bewitched all the cinder blocks like an open book they painted prototipos de la raza -- students nurses, fighter Emma Tenayuca, Lydia Mendoza well known “la alondra de la frontera,” Zapatistas del sur en Chiapas, la single expecting parent madre pura, pura madre…! it’s hard to raise a child in West San Anto -- south, east, anywhere but the north side where they got better sidewalks and thicker walls for the drive-by’s! batos locos do more than graffiti walls they can paint a Chicano art mall inspired rucas beautify a car wash stall every body ready to rock and roll! nombre, y luego que sale el diablo en Camaroncito! he was a’ready to dance and joody boog…! that too they painted on the wall -- pictograph history of San Anto, of La Raza meeting in their casa bato loco sitting down with Jesus Christ it ain’t no lie -- I saw it with my own eyes! I have seen the glory of La Raza having a taza de poetry, cultura y arte -- creating masterpieces in the barrio walls, giant canvas de la gente pobre where you turn cobre into gold -- and gold into the dreams of La Raza -- todos juntos having ice cream on the corner of Zarzamora and Salinas en una mesa para todos in the local barrio esquina! San Anto Cultural arts! |
“Una mesa Blessing day!” (2008)
What’s going on? looks like a piñata party day looks like Raza wants to play one more tribute to pay a real backstreet event kind of far distance away from the mad rushing beat of the crazy highway street one more Manny mural you know the cat who just never slept loved to cruise our lovely town make it more beautiful make it more brown… una mesa blessing day on a corner street - hooray! let’s all celebrate with a big munchie plate! street walks talking beauty like it’s our ancestral duty to beautify, glorify what we’re all about say it with a grito say it with a shout one more mural en San Anto it’s a turn on - un encanto thank you Lisa, thank you Cruz thank you Ruth thank you Manny thank you Raza for beautifying our precious casa! |