Blog Archives

Update to: 21 Murals for Uvalde, Texas

8/30/2024

! BRAVO !

"I just received word that a featured artist
from this blog, helped to sponsor
the 'Healing Uvalde' Mural Project!
by selling two (2!) of his paintings!!
and contributing the proceeds
for the painting of the murals project!!"

!BRAVO!
!! Joe Bravo !!

“Roberto, Attached are the two paintings that were purchased by Jaime Casillas of Oxnard.
The proceeds went towards funding the mural project
in Uvalde to paint portraits of all the students who were killed.
Feel free to post on your blog.
Saludos," -Joe Bravo

Joe was featured here
(4-1-2024)
for his “Water is Life” mural,
in Highland Park.
http://www.artandsoulproductions.com/blog/joe-bravo-water-is-life-mural

“Nice Job, Joe!
Bravo!!” -RQ

0 Comments

21 Murals for Uvalde, Texas

8/5/2024

2 Comments

“Art Saves Lives!”

“Well, sadly, not in this case…
But these murals not only serve as a remembrance of the many innocent victims of the Robb Elementary School Shooting in Uvalde, Texas,
but they give witness to the people and places impacted by gun violence all across the United States.
I was going to post this in a series of blogs and stretch this important topic out over several months.
After all, 21 murals and nearly 27 artists
is a lot to digest all at once!
However...
the impact of 21 senselessly lost lives is too horrible
to be diluted over several posts.
They were all taken in 77 minutes!
So here they are, all together!

I am dedicating this post to all of our
Legislators and Representatives,
and especially to our
’Supreme’ Court Justices
and their recent cowardly and shameful ruling
on 'bump'-stock gun legislation.”
-Roberto Quintana

In Remembrance of
the Robb Elementary School
Shooting Victims

“I know that art heals, that art can calm,
that art can point us in a positive direction.” -Abel Ortiz

The idea for the 21 portrait murals came from Uvalde resident Abel Ortiz, an artist, art professor at Southwest Texas Junior College, and founder of Art Lab, a local art space.

“I thought it was going to be one mural,”…
“No, you know what? I’m thinking twenty-one murals!
It needs to be monumental!
It needs to be across town,
and not just in one place.
And so, the idea was born.” -Abel Ortiz

At the same time, future collaborators,
psychologist and art collector Dr. George Meza
and Monica Maldonado, founder of MAS Cultura,
were thinking about how art could benefit the community.

Before the portrait murals, Maldonado had worked with artists to complete three “Uvalde Strong” murals.
Soon after, Maldonado and Ortiz were connected and Maldonado joined as Project Manager.
Dr. Meza and Abel were already in contact and the three joined forces on the mural effort.
Dr. Meza spearheaded their fundraising efforts to raise more than $30,000 through his Facebook group "Collectors of Chicano/Latinx Art and Allies."
Together the trio made the idea of 21 portrait murals a reality and actualized the Healing Uvalde Mural project.

“…I kind of knew, you know, we needed to get people on their feet on the ground doing something very concrete and specific and that was going to be the murals, and that’s why I called them the ‘healing murals’ because with trauma there are many pathways to healing.” -Dr. George Meza

Mural Project Remembers Uvalde’s Lost Lives
by Tiffany Hearsey May 23, 2024

UVALDE, Texas — Heavy rains blanketed the small town of Uvalde, Texas, the night of the horrific mass shooting at Robb Elementary School. Uvalde resident Abel Ortiz recalled of the downpour, “it’s almost like the heavens opened up and all the tears came down.” On the morning of May 24, 2022, a gunman entered the school, killing 19 children and two teachers and injuring 17 others. Ortiz, an artist, and art professor at Southwest Texas Junior College, wanted to do something to help the families and community. Drawing on his artistic background, he spearheaded the Healing Uvalde Mural Project, a series of portraits of the victims displayed across buildings in downtown Uvalde. The murals, he explained, “were intended to provide comfort for the families,” and offer “a sense of calm, a sense of reflection.” They not only serve as a remembrance of the victims, but bear witness to the people and places impacted by gun violence in Uvalde and across the United States. Ortiz surmised, “the community can respond to the mural, to the image, reflect, contemplate, and think about possible changes. The lives of the children and teachers honored in the Healing Uvalde Mural Project were neither the first casualties of gun violence nor the last. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), gun violence is the leading cause of death among children and teens. Ortiz said, “If there’s any art that I wish didn’t exist, [it] is this art, because that means the kids would be alive.”

Ortiz partnered with Monica Maldonado, founder of Austin-based nonprofit MAS Cultura, who acted as program manager. She brought 50 Texan artists to Uvalde in the months following the shooting to paint the 21 murals, all volunteering their time and services, free of charge. The families of the victims gave their permission for the project, and many participated in the creation of the murals of their loved ones. Each image tells a story about one life — the person’s hobbies, hopes, and dreams, and the family and friends they loved and who loved them — through re-creations of the children’s drawings, ranging from rainbows and cartoon characters to sea creatures and puppies, signifying dreams of becoming a marine biologist or veterinarian, to lyrics of favorite songs, among other tributes.

Tess Marie Mata
age: 10
Mural by Anat Ronen

“In the bracelet, there was a little butterfly charm that didn’t really register as such in the original reference. While I was painting, I asked Veronica if there’s something else that might be more important, more meaningful, that I could replace it with. She said, yes, actually there’s this heart charm her grandmother gifted her and let’s see if you can integrate that...And the next day I put it in...It's the little things that mean a lot at the end.” -Anat Ronen

Xavier James Lopez
age:10
Mural by Amado Castillo III

“When Felicia (Xavier’s mom) sent me pictures, I noticed that he was always wearing a shirt of the bear, so I asked the mom about the bear t-shirts. And she said, “Oh, man, they were his favorite... I would buy them at DD’s Discount fashion store and he would wear those until they were faded." -Monica Maldonado

Annabell Guadalupe Rodriguez age: 10
Mural by Joey “WiseOne” Martinez

“Annabell was an honor roll student and she took a lot of pride in that. She took school seriously, it was an important part of her life that defined who she was. She loved animals and would rescue them. Her hopes and dreams were to become a veterinarian.” -Monica Maldonado

“You can feel the hurt in that community,” artist Joey Martinez reflected when he first came to Uvalde to paint Annabell Guadalupe Rodriguez’s mural. “I think it was really important to be there for everybody,” he said. With guidance from Annabell’s family, Martinez included a Uvalde Coyotes logo and a sketch of an A+, a nod to her honor roll credentials — aspects of the 10-year-old’s personality in which loved ones and visitors alike can share. The mural also contains a cell phone with the text “I love you,” which she and her best friend, 10-year-old Xavier James Lopez, would send to each other each night before bedtime. Xavier was also killed in the shooting and his mural sits right next to Annabell’s, their close bond solidified in art. Their union was also honored in death, when the two families buried the children next to each other.

Makenna Lee Elrod
age: 10
Mural by Silvia "Silvy" Ochoa and
Courtney Jimenez / Courtney Arte

“Murals,” artist Silvia “Silvy” Ochoa said, “are beautiful tools to communicate.” She added, “They can make you feel, can help you remember.” Ochoa’s painting of 10-year-old Makenna Lee Elrod is an array of positive memories and symbolic imagery that aims to heal the traumatic memories surrounding her death. “Trauma” comes from the Greek word meaning “piercing” or “wounding.” Through art, a mending of the wounds can occur. Ochoa’s mural depicts Makenna in the bucolic farm where she grew up, surrounded by three butterflies that represent her and her parents, and four trees that symbolize her and her siblings. But it’s the rainbow adorning her shirt that stands out. Makenna’s parents gave Ochoa a photo of their daughter holding a rock with a rainbow she had painted on its surface. Ochoa wanted to include the rainbow on the mural and place it on her chest, and invited each member of Makenna’s family to paint the rainbow. After the portrait was completed, the family shared with Ochoa that Makenna had been shot in the chest. “That’s where she lost her life,” Ochoa told me through tears. “Her family gave her life on the mural in the same place.”

Layla Marie Salazar
age: 11
Mural by Alvaro Deko Zermeño

Alvaro Deko Zermeño’s Artist Statement:
There are no words to describe the level of pain that Uvalde has gone through so being able to use art to try and bring even the smallest bit of comfort to the families, to the community was worth every minute in the sun. It was an honor to meet the Salazar family and hear about Layla.
Layla was energetic and quick to entertain her family and friends. She loved track and because of her drive and focus, she was one of the fastest in her class.
The mural took 5 days to complete and there were times that it was difficult to look at her photo, knowing that the mural would barely scratch the surface of who she was.
On Día de los Muertos, we find ourselves at a point where grief and celebration meet. I hope that the families and the city of Uvalde know that we stand beside them and that their children will never be forgotten.

Jose Manuel Flores Jr.
age: 10
Mural by Albert “Tino” Ortega

“Jose had a big heart and lots of love for the game of baseball. I did the stars coming out from his chest so the stars that are on each side of him, they pretty much call us back to where his heart is, just to signify his love for the game.” -Tino Ortega

Eliahna Cruz Torres
age: 10
Mural by Filiberto Mendieta
Assisted by Nikki Diaz

“It was her first year playing softball.
She was a natural athlete and didn’t even know it...Once she started playing, she became obsessed with the sport and practiced every day. The day of the tragedy Eliahna would’ve found out that she made the All-Star team... Also, there is a cat at the bottom...the cat’s name is Dexter and when Eliahna passed away, he didn’t leave her room for two weeks, he waited for her.” -Monica Maldonado

Uziyah Sergio Garcia
age: 10
Mural by Richard Samuel

Richard Samuel’s Artist Statement:
My Brother
I'm not even sure where to start. The emotion and experience that comes with being a part of a project like Healing Uvalde is life-changing. It’s an opportunity I dropped everything for. I was perfectly matched up to paint Uziyah. A beautiful soul whom I had so much in common with. I learned we both love spiderman, and gaming, are very athletic, love sports, and express unwavering loyalty and love to our loved ones. It was almost as if we were one in a parallel universe. Meeting Uziyah's family, hearing their beautiful memories, and also reconnections through dreams provided me with all the inspiration possible to complete the mural. The amount of appreciation the town of Uvalde had for this project is mind-blowing. Literally, every 5 minutes painting, another car passed by thanking us, asking if we needed water or food. Some cried, some smiled, and some shared beautiful stories. By the time I was ready to leave Uvalde, I realized that this is the best thing I've ever done in my life. I hope my little brothers in heaven welcomed him with open arms because he's one with us. Gone but never forgotten.

Jayce Carmelo Luevanos
age: 10
Mural by Ruben Esquivel

Ruben Esquivel’s Artist Statement:
Jayce Luevanos loved dinosaurs and ninjas. His favorite colors were blue and green and he loved making coffee for his family in the mornings. Jayce would write love letters for his loved ones and sign them with “I love you!”
It was important to me that his family be part of the process and felt included in the mural. I reached out and asked to be connected directly with the family. We had a few phone calls and talked about things that Jayce loved, his family shared some memories and together we began conceptualizing the design. The month leading up to my arrival in Uvalde was nerve-racking. When the time came, I was nervous to finally meet Jayce’s family but they greeted me with open arms and with no hesitation and treated me as one of their own. We were family. His siblings were eager to assist me and helped me paint parts of the mural; After all, this piece is as much theirs as it is mine.
The outpouring support from Jayce’s family and the entire community was humbling and unlike anything I have ever experienced. Jayce’s family would spend every evening and sometimes into the early hours of the morning with me, watching me paint as I poured my heart and soul into his mural. I wanted to create a space where Jayce’s friends, family and even strangers could come to spend time with him, see him, talk to him, and feel his presence. A place for healing. I wanted his family to be able to come see that sweet sparkle in his eye whenever they needed to.

Jacklyn “Jackie” Jaylen Cazares age: 9
Mural by Kimie Flores

“Javier [Jackie’s father] really wanted the Eiffel Tower.
... At that point, we didn’t even have the Eiffel Tower on the mural and originally didn’t understand the importance of it. Then one day I was invited to the family’s home and when Javier opened the door to her bedroom all I could see was the Eiffel Tower everywhere. She had the Eiffel Tower on her bedspread, Eiffel Tower paintings, and an Eiffel Tower jewelry holder. Her dream was to go to Paris to the Eiffel Tower. ... I called Kimie and said we have to add the Eiffel Tower to the mural” -Monica Maldonado

Maranda Gail Mathis
age: 11
Mural By Luis Angulo

Luis Angulo’s Artist Statement:
“Maranda is described as a shy kid who liked being in nature, picking-up river rocks and feathers. I received a picture of Miranda standing in a creek facing the camera. Her arms are outstretched as she shows the camera the river rocks she found. I took this image and added more elements to it, trying to imagine a place that Maranda would have liked to explore. In her hands instead of river rocks, she has an Amethyst crystal, her mom's birthstone. In the water are eleven Koi fish, the same age Maranda was at the time of her passing.”

Alexandria “Lexi” Aniyah Rubio age: 10
Mural by Ruben Esquivel
and Carmen Rangel

Artist Statement:
We wanted to portray the most authentic Lexi, so we reached out to those that know her best, her family. We learned that Lexi loved sunflowers and butterflies, she was a proud Libra and force to be reckoned with. Like her mother, she dreamt of attending St. Mary’s University and of one day becoming a lawyer. She played basketball and softball and had a fondness for math. Lexi and her five siblings were like peas in a pod. All of this is illustrated in Lexis larger than life mural in Uvalde, Texas.

Alithia Haven Ramirez
age: 10
Mural by Juan Velásquez
Assisted by Sarah Ayala

Juan Velázquez’s Artist Statement:
Me and @sarahrayala [Sarah Ayala] got to meet Alithia Ramirez's dad and for me it was the most emotional part of the trip, I didn’t know what to say so I just told him “I’m so sorry” He liked the mural and specially that one of the characters we painted on her shirt was from a Father’s Day card she made for him. He said she wanted to be an artist and now her art (the characters on her shirt) are in a mural.

Eliahna “Ellie” Amyah Garcia age: 9
Mural by Abel Ortiz

"Because she won the basketball championship the Saturday before, so I decided to make it into a sports card design and at the bottom, it says “all-star”...She does have the number 21 on her jersey. That was her actual number, twenty-one, that was her mom’s birthday and that’s why she chose that number when she was in the basketball team." -Abel Ortiz

Rojelio Fernandez Torres
age: 10
Mural by Floyd Mendoza
and Jesse de Leon

Floyd Mendoza’s Artist Statement:
I had only known Jesse de Leon for about a week when we found ourselves in front of a blank wall in Uvalde. Our plan was for Jesse to cover the characters, while I tackled the portrait. To my surprise, Rogelio’s family was so hospitable. My first memory I have of Rogelio’s mother, Evadulia and her sisters was them unloading a cooler of water for us. However, it wasn't until I wrapped up Rogelio’s facial features that I began to see the family open up. In which Evadulia stated “it's like he's standing in front of me.” As we made progress on the wall, it was as though this family was healing before our very eyes. They went from being quiet that morning, to laughing and playing music that same night. I was amazed at how this family was so united and close throughout this project. I’m super honored to have been able to contribute to this project.

Jesse de Leon’s Artist Statement:
To have the privilege to use my gift and passion for this Uvalde project, was humbling. To create this memorial for this angel Rojelio Torres, was life changing. Speaking to his aunt Precious she gave me insight on who he was and what the family envisioned. She spoke of his love for Pokemon cards and playing football with his cousins. He was the life of the party and was always the first on the dance floor! He was a gifted child who was so giving and loved his friends and family.

Maite Yuleana Rodriguez
age: 10
Mural by Ana Hernandez

“We decided to give the mural an oceanic theme since Maite wanted to be a marine biologist. Maite Yuleana Rodriguez was smart, compassionate, loved science, animals, the color green, Attack on Titan and had just taught herself to sew.” -Ana Hernandez

Amerie Jo Garza
age: 10
Mural by Cristina Noriega

"My own daughter Paloma was born only 4 days before Amerie and is also a girl scout, an artist, and a sweet girl who is a friend to everyone. The similarities gutted me in a way that words cannot explain. Painting Amerie and bringing some healing to her family also helped heal my own grief over the unfathomable loss." -Cristina Noriega

Nevaeh Alyssa Bravo
age: 10
Mural by Brittany “Britt” Johnson

Britt Johnson’s Artist Statement:
The mural for Nevaeh Bravo is a collaboration between me (Britt Johnson), Efren “ER” Rebugio, and Nevaeh. One of the first things the family shared with us was Nevaeh's kindred love of painting and drawing. We felt connected to Nevaeh in this way. They provided images of her drawings which included a heart, two birds, a rose, and a handwritten note that reads “I love you.” We knew how important Nevaeh’s drawings were to the family, so we recreated them to be prominent in the background. We also incorporated some of her favorite things like the colors purple and pink, butterflies, softball, and the TikTok symbol. To complement the symbol, there is a comment box that can be used by Nevaeh’s family to write messages to her. In the mural a third bird was added that symbolizes Nevaeh’s two brothers and one sister. The two roses symbolize Mom and Dad. Nevaeh’s portrait is nestled in between both elements to signify the embracement of her family. Curls cascade over her shoulder to show the way she loved to wear her hair. It was an honor to paint for the Bravo family. We are grateful for their kindness and patience throughout the process, and we enjoyed their company while we painted, especially hanging with our dog Charlie. They are always in our thoughts and prayers.

Jalilah Nicole Silguero
age: 10
Mural by Albert “Tino” Ortega

Albert “Tino” Ortega’s Artist Statement:
The subject matter of Jailah Nicole Silguero mural was selected in part for the similarities with my own daughter.
The process of creating the portrait was done in collaboration with Jailah’s family to celebrate her likes and interests.
The halo and glowing light represent a sense of passing and purity. Her family was able to partake in the creation of the mural in hopes to bring a feeling of inclusion in the memorial of their daughter and sister.

Irma Linda and Joe Garcia
Mural by Cease Martinez

Cease Martinez’s Artist Statement:
When researching to do this mural I discovered that Irma LOVED being a teacher and loved her students. I learned that she was a great mother and had been with her high school sweetheart, Joe, coming up on 25 years. Speaking to family and friends, I found out they were practically inseparable. Sadly, this was true even in death. This was the inspiration for painting them in a niche box, often used for devotion or alters. I named it "Amor Eternal" or eternal love. We were blessed to have several of Irma and Joe's friends and family stop by during the process, providing stories of their love.

I wanted to include a quote or scripture on part of the wall space. Their daughter gracefully provided a lyric from one of their favorite songs bringing it all together.

Eva Mireles
Mural by Sandra Gonzalez

Sandra Gonzalez’s Artist Statement:
As a teacher and a muralist, it was important for me to honor the life of a teacher who was passionate about education and died as a hero.

“On the morning of July 23rd, a week after Eva’s mural was painted, I drove up to the mural location and noticed two ladies sitting across from Eva’s mural. I assumed that they were volunteers and approached them. It turned out it was Eva’s best friends, Katie and Lilly. They looked at me and said, “we’re having coffee with Eva”. They shared stories, a particular one about Eva doing Karaoke to Diamonds by Rihanna.” -Monica Maldonado

These murals, as remembrances, also tell the story
of lives violently cut short.
At a memorial to the victims in downtown Uvalde,
a resident expressed her opposition to them.
They’re painful to look at, she explained.
“The families shouldn’t see their kids like that …
they should have seen them grow up.”

The 21 Healing Murals tower over Uvalde’s landscape, greeting all who gaze upon them
with warmth and benevolence.
They aim to provide healing for the families and community through remembrance of the lives taken.
As they honor the victims, they also bear witness to the gun violence that brought about the project,
violence that, two years after the shooting, has continued across the nation.
Ortiz said, “As you walk from one mural to the next,
it’s almost like you’re stitching a wound,”
but, he added,
“Unfortunately, that wound reopens
every time there’s a new shooting.”

One of the country’s deadliest mass shootings,
the Robb Elementary shooting was also one of the greatest law enforcement response failures.
While an 18-year-old former student armed with
an AR-15-style assault rifle stalked the halls and classrooms for 77 minutes, nearly 400 law enforcement officers,
including US Border Patrol agents and state and local police, remained outside the school, even as children called 911 from their classrooms for help.
A Department of Justice report described the response as “cascading failures.”
Attorney General Merrick Garland said,
“lives would have been saved and people would have survived,” if law enforcement agencies had followed generally accepted practices and gone immediately into the school
to apprehend the shooter.
As of May 22, families of the students and teachers killed or injured at the school settled a lawsuit with the city of Uvalde for $2 million and are suing
92 officers with the school district,
individual employees,
and
the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Related:
Through Art, Texans Memorialize Victims of Uvalde Shooting June 7, 2022

Google Doodle Shares Artwork by 10-Year-Old Uvalde Shooting Victim July 18, 2022

Abstractions That Epitomize the US’s Inherent Violence
July 24, 2023

Tiffany Hearsey
Tiffany Hearsey is a freelance journalist.
She covers criminal justice and the occasional horror flick. Visit her website at tiffanyhearsey.com.

More by Tiffany Hearsey https://hyperallergic.com/author/tiffany-hearsey/

The murals and artists can all be found
here.

2 Comments

...to Roberto's Blog!

‘Duit-On-Mon
-Dai-Luna-Prime’

  Roberto has been pestering the ‘Marketing’ staff here at Art and Soul for some time now to get together with ‘Research and Development’ to come up with a fun way for him to share all the great work out there of all the many other talented muralists and artists he's been "influenced by" over the years. ‘Sales’ was totally against the idea! ("How could that possibly improve the bottom-line?!"). ‘Marketing’ remains split, as usual ("We need more data"). ‘R&D’ thought it might be a fun way to "show off a little", and to showcase all those great ideas they keep finding out there on the internet. ‘HR’ said it might be a good way to keep 'The Crew' distracted ("Since they are all so bored since Covid hit, and Roberto is spending more and more time in his studio working on all those silly little easel paintings").
'The Crew' said: ’'Sure, We've got nothing else going on …but only if we get to share stuff about technique, materials, and equipment." ‘Receivables’ said: "It obviously won’t make more work for us, so why not!". 'Legal' said: "No Way! You are NOT going to reveal where you steal all your ideas from!" (Although Roberto values their legal advice, He rarely listen’s to their hysterics anyway). So... here we are! Welcome!

‘Duit-On-Mon-Dai-Luna-Prime’
     "As the title implies, I will post once a Month (on the first Monday, more or less). Feel free to leave a family friendly comment. Dialogue and praise is encouraged. Creativity, passion and wonder should be expected. Politics and personal grievances hopefully kept to private emails. And please… no Whining! and no sales pitches either (you can make your own damn blog for that).
   I expect to start becoming a little more savvy with all this social media stuff, but for now ‘Bookmark’ my website and check back every once in a while. I hope you will find it interesting. Don’t be too persnickety over my whimsical spelling and creative punctuations either, my Editorial Department is not what it used to be… I am seriously understaffed these days."
Peace and Love...
-Roberto Quintana, WFA

Update to: 21 Murals for Uvalde, Texas

21 Murals for Uvalde, Texas

“Art Saves Lives!”

...to Roberto's Blog!

Archives

Categories