The cover art this week was provided by San Anto Cultural Arts. The mural is called “Lideres de la Comunidad” and was completed in September 2006 by crew of community members including Meredith North, Brooke Spivey, Adriana Garcia, Jeff Diaz, Kim Sida, John Ivarra, Cardee A. Garcia, Alvaro Ramirez, Eddie Montalvo, Paco Klein, Gerrado E. Garcia, Anilu Gonzalez and Alex Garcia.
The team was lead by Muralist in Residence Valerie Aranda worked with San Anto community members and artists to create this tribute to Westside community leaders. The brightly-colored mural is a compilation of portraits, ranging from labor organizer Emma Tenayuca to local mechanic and accordionist Paul Morada. The tree on the right side of the mural speaks to the roots and continual growth of the Westside community, while the chicharras shedding their skin remind us that even when someone we love leaves their body behind, they live on in us and the communities they labored to build.
Manny Castillo reached out to Maria DeLeon from National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures (NALAC), who agreed to let San Anto paint on one of NALAC’s buildings, right next to Ruth Buentello’s mural Piedad. Manny Castillo had originally met Valerie Aranda through a NALAC leadership program.
To support these projects, community members are invited to take a tour of San Anto Cultural Arts Murals. The tour lasts about an hour and cost $10 per person. San Anto Cultural Arts’ Community Mural Project offers visitors and residents of San Antonio the opportunity to view and learn about the stunning murals and public art pieces created by youth and adult residents of San Antonio’s Westside neighborhoods. Discover the beauty and importance of muralism as it relates to human and community development, and historical and cultural documentation and affirmation. For more information, please visit http://www.sananto.org/
