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Location: 1512 El Paso St.
Date: August 2001 Lead Community Muralists: Mary Agnes Rodriguez and Janie Tabares-Orñelaz Mural Coordinator: Alex Rubio Restorations: 2009 - Lead Restoration Muralists Mary Agnes Rodriguez and Janie Tabares-Orñelaz |
Nicho para la Virgen de Guadalupe is painted on wood panels with wood cutouts, creating a three-dimensional background for the bright-colored mural. The nicho was meant to be a rotating exhibit, but the residents of San Jacinto Senior Homes refused to let it leave. Residents care for the mural, keeping it clean, well-lit, and supplied with ofrendas.
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Content and Design
A traditional nicho is a decorative box or case that displays a religious icon. La Virgen de Guadalupe is one of the most important Mexican-American religious icons, appearing on walls and in homes across the Westside. Mary Agnes and Janie designed a traditional Virgen de Guadalupe with Marian robes, a crown, a green tilma, and roses. A trinity of white doves hover above her. The virgen is also surrounded by a South Texas-Mexican landscape: open sky, distant mountains, desert, maguey (agave) plants and of course, the nopal (cactus). Mary Agnes used toothpicks to give the nopales convincing spikes.
history
Nicho para la Virgen de Guadalupe was the first piece Mary Agnes Rodriguez lead for San Anto. After months of trying to get Mary Agnes to meet with them, San Anto co-founders Manny Castillo and Cruz Ortiz, along with mural coordinator Alex Rubio, convinced Mary Agnes to show them samples of her art in person instead of only submitting to El Placazo. Along with some drawings and painted eggs, Mary brought a picture of a nicho, a decorative box holding a statue of la virgen de Guadalupe. Rubio loved the piece and asked Mary to create a three-dimensional version of the painting. He envisioned a nicho that could be moved from place to place as a traveling mural.
San Jacinto Senior Homes on El Paso Street would be the nicho’s first home. Working out of Inner City Development and Rubio’s home, Ortiz and Rubio helped cut and sand 4x8 birch panels for the mural. Artists brought the pieces to San Jacinto, where Mary Agnes lead painting workshops. She taught the residents how to paint the wooden pieces that would become flowers, cacti, and la virgen herself. Much of the mural was painted by the senior residents, with help from Mary Agnes and co-lead artist Janie Tabares-Orñelaz.
When the time came for the nicho to move locations, the residents of San Jacinto refused to let it go. Instead of a rotating piece, the nicho became a permanent fixture at San Jacinto Senior Homes. Residents care for the mural, keeping it clean, well-lit, and supplied with ofrendas of flowers and velas.
The mural blessing for the nicho received enough local media attention to catch the eye of renowned chicano art collector Cheech Marin. San Anto Cultural Arts received a packet requesting submissions from female muralists. Mary Agnes was hesitant at first, ready for a break from major art projects, but Manny and Janie convinced her to submit. Mary designed kitchen scene with a stained glass rooster in the center and Janie designed a living room scene. Both designs were selected for the exhibit and the artists given two weeks to complete the murals. As part of the Cheech Marin exhibit, Mary Agnes and Janie’s work traveled to fifteen cities in five years. The nicho may not have left San Jacinto Senior Homes, but it carried Mary and Janie’s work across the country.
In 2009, Janie and Mary Agnes restored the mural at Janie’s house. In addition to refreshing the nicho’s paint, they made a few minor design changes. They added maguey plants on either side of the nopales, changed the color of the roses from magenta to red, added fruit to the top of the nopales, altered the shape of the clouds, and included a wooden cover to project the nicho.
San Jacinto Senior Homes on El Paso Street would be the nicho’s first home. Working out of Inner City Development and Rubio’s home, Ortiz and Rubio helped cut and sand 4x8 birch panels for the mural. Artists brought the pieces to San Jacinto, where Mary Agnes lead painting workshops. She taught the residents how to paint the wooden pieces that would become flowers, cacti, and la virgen herself. Much of the mural was painted by the senior residents, with help from Mary Agnes and co-lead artist Janie Tabares-Orñelaz.
When the time came for the nicho to move locations, the residents of San Jacinto refused to let it go. Instead of a rotating piece, the nicho became a permanent fixture at San Jacinto Senior Homes. Residents care for the mural, keeping it clean, well-lit, and supplied with ofrendas of flowers and velas.
The mural blessing for the nicho received enough local media attention to catch the eye of renowned chicano art collector Cheech Marin. San Anto Cultural Arts received a packet requesting submissions from female muralists. Mary Agnes was hesitant at first, ready for a break from major art projects, but Manny and Janie convinced her to submit. Mary designed kitchen scene with a stained glass rooster in the center and Janie designed a living room scene. Both designs were selected for the exhibit and the artists given two weeks to complete the murals. As part of the Cheech Marin exhibit, Mary Agnes and Janie’s work traveled to fifteen cities in five years. The nicho may not have left San Jacinto Senior Homes, but it carried Mary and Janie’s work across the country.
In 2009, Janie and Mary Agnes restored the mural at Janie’s house. In addition to refreshing the nicho’s paint, they made a few minor design changes. They added maguey plants on either side of the nopales, changed the color of the roses from magenta to red, added fruit to the top of the nopales, altered the shape of the clouds, and included a wooden cover to project the nicho.
About the Artists
Mary Agnes prepares a wood panel for the mosaics on "La India"
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Mary Agnes Rodriguez - One day in 1999, Mary Agnes went to eat at her cousin’s deli on South Alamo and Beauregard Street. While she waited for her food, she picked up a copy of El Placazo Community Newspaper and noticed a call for artists to submit designs for the newspaper’s header. Mary Agnes submitted four and was pleased to notice that one appeared on the header of El Placazo’s next issue. Mary Agnes kept submitting drawings to the newspaper for publication and people from San Anto Cultural Arts became curious about the identity of this reserved but prolific Westside artist. Finally, after Mary Agnes submitted an impressive large design to the newspaper, the current CMP Coordinator Cruz Ortiz insisted on meeting her. Mary Agnes met Manny Castillo, Cruz Ortiz, and rising CMP Coordinator Alex Rubio at the Inner City Development offices. When she showed them a drawing of the Virgen of Guadalupe, Rubio suggested a 3D mural as a nicho for the Lady of
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Guadalupe. Thus began Mary Agnes’ involvement with the mural program. Since then, Mary Agnes has lead or co-lead six murals: Nicho para la Virgen de Guadalupe, La India, Breaking the Cycle Seeds of Solidarity, Barrio Wellness, and El Poder de Muralismo: Cuentos Son Arte, but never stopped submitting to the community newspaper.
Outside of San Anto, Mary Agnes is an established multimedia artist. Her work has been featured in multiple museums and cultural centers, a major touring exhibition organized by Cheech Marin. Her work usually depicts her Westside community, with overarching themes of peace and social justice. Mary Agnes is a dedicated activist and community volunteer with organizations like the City of San Antonio’s Historical and Design Review Commission, the Public Art Commission, San Jacinto Senior Homes, Alamo City Community Marching Band, and the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center. Mary Agnes currently works at Mujerartes, a ceramics studio designed to train and employ women of the Westside.
Outside of San Anto, Mary Agnes is an established multimedia artist. Her work has been featured in multiple museums and cultural centers, a major touring exhibition organized by Cheech Marin. Her work usually depicts her Westside community, with overarching themes of peace and social justice. Mary Agnes is a dedicated activist and community volunteer with organizations like the City of San Antonio’s Historical and Design Review Commission, the Public Art Commission, San Jacinto Senior Homes, Alamo City Community Marching Band, and the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center. Mary Agnes currently works at Mujerartes, a ceramics studio designed to train and employ women of the Westside.