The Murals

As you go through this tour, we want you to experience the murals while also considering themes important to San Antonio’s history, Westside community, and Mexican American heritage. For each mural, we will identify key concepts provided by artists from San Anto and the significance of the location and presence of the mural. Many of the murals here were made in the 1990s when the San Anto organization originated, making these murals almost thirty years old. There is potential for murals and their locations to be designated as historical landmarks that would grant them protection from being bought, demolished, or erased. As we look at more current murals and those that continue to be restored, we ask you to consider how murals can be protected as future historical landmarks.

Educacion

Educacion by Cruz Ortiz and Juan Ramos and mural crew: Adrian “El Caminante” Cervantez, Carlos Herandez, Manuel “MEME” Castillo, Rina “Taco Lady” Moreno, Patti “Bunkhaus” Radle, Luna family sibings, Mike Kokinda; youth volunteers: Angela, “El Bob,” El Necio Kid, Ricardo, Emilio, Rebecca Lopez, Eric “Poncherello” Estrada, Erica. It was later restored in 1999 by Juan Ramos.

Educacion is the first mural done by San Anto and was designed and implemented by community advocates and artists that established San Anto in 1993. The following year the original Educacion mural was completed as a project done by community members and youth. According to San Anto, the origins of the mural design limit graffiti on buildings and make a statement on gang violence and activities that became rampant on the Westside in the 1980s and 1990s.

First impressions of the mural show skeletons wearing blue and red hats shooting guns and portrayed as silly in comparison to the girl above them who looks strong wielding the banner reading “educacion.” Based on the layout of the mural, the girl named Lisa, labeled on her shirt, represents a Chicana that uses her education as a tool to go beyond gang activities. Behind Lisa are Aztec temples from Mexico and the skyline resembling downtown San Antonio. The background is a representation of the unique heritage in San Antonio but more predominately on the Westside of Mexican Americans of decent to Indigenous cultures in Mexico. The imagery of indigenous cultures like the Aztec temples is seen also in the sun and border decorating the top of the mural.

According to San Anto, the lead artists wanted the mural to be a statement to empower youth, but youth in the community was heavily involved in the process. Working on the mural provided a creative outlet for youth while replacing gang-related graffiti on local businesses and community buildings. Additionally, as the first local mural, artists saw Educacion and the future murals as an opportunity for community members to view art publicly without paying or traveling to museums.

Location: Educacion is located at 2121 Guadalupe St, San Antonio, TX 78207. When Educacion was painted, Laredo Loans and De La Pena Pawn Shop were the businesses residing on the mural building. As of May 2021, the building is vacant but still is home to the mural. Neighboring the mural are local businesses, restaurants, like Guadalupe Cheers, Fernandez Mexican Restaurant, and Kerr Hill Automotive.

Content and Design Published by San Anto Cultural Arts Center:

“Educacion is San Anto’s first mural, a community response to gang violence and drive-by shootings that plagued the Westside during the 1980’s and 90’s. Five years later, Juan Ramos restored the mural. Ramos preserved the original concept but made a few changes so the mural would appeal to local youth. For example, the young Chicana girl featured in the middle of the mural was originally depicted as an indigenous woman in traditional clothing. During restoration, artists named the central figure “Lisa,” re-painted her to look like a teenager, and gave her a baseball tee instead of a huipil. The mural aims to grab the attention of young Chicanas and enable them to identify as Lisa, a young person who does not fall victim to gang activity because she is empowered by education. “

Keywords: Gang violence, Chicana, Education, Empower, Restoration, Youth, Aztec

8 Stages In the Life of a Chicana

8 Stages In the Life of a Chicana is a mural by local artists Cruz Ortiz and Carlos Espinoza in 1995 but was later restored by Cardee and Gerry Garcia in 2004 and later in 2017 by Adriana Abundis and youth volunteers.

The mural is painted along eight fences to tell the story of a young woman with indigenous and Mexican American roots (Chicana). The Chicana’s story depicts her life from birth to growing old with her partner. Each stage has numerous images and symbols that reflect growing up on the Westside, such as specific restaurants, practicing catholicism, and learning about indigenous roots and influences in Mexican American culture. 

In the stage of Politicization, the girl becomes empowered by her education as she has the resources to learn about her heritage, community history, and systemic issues that impact her community and other Mexican Americans such as racism and inequality that goes back to the origins of the Westside as an area where Mexican Americans were heavily mistreated and had little to no labor rights in factories and farms. In this scene, the United Farm Workers union symbol is behind her. 

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Location: When you look up the location of the mural at 1250 S Trinity St. San Antonio, TX 78207, the results show the Abounding Hope Church that was once functioning but now is vacant most likely because of COVID-19. The Church held Bible Study and Sunday school. Surrounding the building is a mix of family homes and community places such as El Tabernaculo Church and Annunciation-Blessed Virgin as religious community places. Near the mural is also Inner City Development, a social services organization.

Keywords: Chicana, Vato, Calaveras, Maíz, Aztec temple, United Farm Workers (UFW),  Lowrider, taqueria, La Virgen de Guadalupe

Brighter Days

Brighter Days by Adriana Garcia with original crew Gerry Garcia, Cardee Garcia, David Blancas. Orginal Completed in 2006.

Lead artist Adriana Garcia was asked to create a mural for the Paul Elizondo Community Mental Health Clinic. According to San Anto, once Adriana accepted the project, she began researching mental health illness and treatment and immediately began speaking with the neighborhood around Paul Elizondo Community Mental Health Clinic. She also asked patients in the clinic to describe their experiences with mental health care through drawing and writing. All of the content and design are entirely based on the community’s input in surrounding neighborhoods, care providers at the clinic, and patients.

While the mural expresses community values, it also promotes seeking mental health care. Based on experience, discussion of mental health in Mexican American households is considered taboo and not a priority, but we think many people from other backgrounds can relate. There are no conversations about mental health, and the care or stigmas that surround it, making it difficult for people to ask for help. We believe this mural can help bring awareness through its representation in images to destigmatize mental illnesses and care. Everyone deserves mental health care, but as we explore murals inspired by social justice and discrimination, the community and advocates need mental wellness. They experience daily traumas, hardships, aside from confronting social justice head-on. To protect our community through action and conversation, we also need to ensure we prioritize mental wellness for ourselves and the community.

Location: Located at Paul Elizondo Community Mental Health Clinic, 806 S. Zarzamora St. San Antonio, TX 78207. Brighter Days has a direct relationship with its location, reflecting values on mental health from those around the building and those that benefit from the clinic’s care. The clinic is on S. Zarzamora St., A busy street home to fast-food restaurants like Mcdonalds and many local shops like Monterrey Products, Yatzil Mexican Restaurant, and Fred’s Fish Fry, as well as schools like the Estrada Achievement Center and several places of worship.

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First image: Artist Adriana preps panels | Second image panels painted by the mural crew | Third image: mural crew installs panels 2007| Courtesy of San Anto

Content and Design Published by San Anto Cultural Arts:

“The wall is divided into three parts that can be read left to right, like a picture book:

Thought, meant to show that knowledge of brain chemistry and personal choice are tools of self-empowerment.

Action meant to show people rising from the confusion related to mental health struggles and diagnoses and taking flight

​Feeling, meant to show the soulful hope of a brighter day. The corn maiden, also known as Tonantzin or Mother Earth, uses traditional Aztec imagery to communicate present-day hope and healing.”

Keywords: Mental health, Actions, Feelings, Thoughts, self-empowerment, Care

Familia y Cultura es Vida

Familia y Cultura es Vida by Debbie Esparza, Juan Ramos in 1995 and at Garachitos and later restored at La Popular Bakery in 2011 by Andy Rivas and crew Angel Hernandez, Brandy Salinas, Eduardo Urbano, Enrico Salinas, Jessica Garcia, Juan Francisco, Ruben Serafin. The mural was restored again in 2016 with Damien Salkin and youth team.

Location: San Antonio has become a fast-growing city in recent years as it has become a significant tourist destination and expanded for a growing population. In most cases, when a city gets new populations, gentrification occurs. Gentrification is the change in neighborhoods as affluent residents and businesses buy property to sell at higher prices and move in the neighborhood, making it difficult for current residents to afford to live in the area and eventually becoming displaced. As gentrification occurs, there is the erasure of restaurants, homes, apartments, community centers, and culture that have resided in the era for decades.

These changes have been occurring in various historically diverse neighborhoods such as the Westside. According to San Anto, Familia y Cultura es Vida was first painted on the walls of Garachitos, a gas station that not only sold local goods but hosted social gatherings of dancing, eating, and playing games. The mural depicted what artists Debbie Esparza and Juan Ramos call life on the Westside, likely how families gathered at Garachitos. In 2008, the City of San Antonio condemned the Garachitos building erasing the mural in artist Andy Rivas, and crew Angel Hernandez, Brandy Salinas, Eduardo Urbano, Enrico Salinas, Jessica Garcia, Juan Francisco, Ruben Serafin restored it a La Chiquita bakery in 2011. 

In response to historic buildings that held cultural memories disappearing, the Westside Preservation Alliance (WPA) was formed in 2009. WPA has worked with the city, including the Office of Historic Preservation (OHP), and local organizations like the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center to keep historic buildings standing and prevent community members and culture from becoming displaced (Magdaleno). In 2016, a restoration crew of Damien Slain and the youth team altered the mural to recognize the new Panadería La Popular Bakery in the exact location.

Content and Design Published by San Anto Cultural Arts:

“Familia y Cultura es Vida depicts an evening on the West Side, with three men playing their instruments while two Tejano couples dance and a young boy stares out the window. The couples are dancing to conjunto music, accordion-based ensemble music with deep San Antonio roots. Artists painted and numbered the steps to conjunto polka and waltz dances on the sidewalk next to the mural. On the left side of the mural, a man works on his car with the San Antonio skyline in the background. This mural was first housed on Guadalupe and Calaveras Street, on the side of a little gas station called Garachitos. For 80 years, this mom-and-pop ice house was a gathering place for families who came to dance, drink, play pool, use the pinball machines, and buy fresh fruit and penny candies. The city condemned the old Garachitos building in 2008, so the mural moved to La Chiquita bakery. Now the Westside Preservation Alliance is working to protect La Chiquita, a classic west side panadería that not only sells delicious pan dulce but also carries decades of West Side history.”

Keywords: Conjunto, Tejano, Panadería, Preservation, Community

Mujerista #3

Mujerista #3 by: Ana Hernandez, Rhys Munro Completed in 2018.

Content and Design:

The mural honors Claudia Patricia Gomez Gonzalez, a Guatemalan woman killed at the Texas border by a U.S. border patrol agent. Imagery in the mural includes fists in different skin tones around a bird flying. The mural is not only a piece to memorialize Claudia Patricia Gomez Gonzalez, but it is also a statement for social justice, specifically with the issues at the Mexican and United States border and racism against Latin American people.

Location: Mujerista #3 at 1811 S. Laredo St.  San Antonio, TX 78207. The building is the Maestro Entrepreneur Center. The Maestro Entrepreneur Center is a non-profit organization that helps small businesses in San Antonio grow by providing resources and tools.

The location of the mural has become a site of protest in the wake of Black Lives Matter and reform of immigration and border policies. In early September 2020, protestors held a rally that began at San Antonio’s Municipal Court building and ending at Mujerista #3 mural. The protest was organized by SA Stands, an immigrant rights coalition, and Black Future Collective and Defund Coalition San Antonio as an intersectional event to request the end of violence from all policing such as the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and border patrol.

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First image Advertisement for Blessing of Mujerista #3 mural | Second image Blessing of Mujerista #3 | Third image Blessing of Mujerista #3 mural October 13, 2018, | San Anto Facebook Page

Keywords: Justice, Blessing, Memorialize, Protest, Intersectionality

What we Saw…

Across the murals, we saw themes all relating to the community through design and implementation process, content, and location. We saw elements of embracing cultural identity in almost all murals where the blend of Mexican American and Indigenous cultures were portrayed with Aztec imagery and references to restaurants and activities popular on the Westside.

As each mural represents an aspect of the Westside community, the murals also serve as statements of social justice and promoting the well-being of the community through promoting education and mental wellness. Relating to the Chicano National Movement, the murals depict the cultural identity and historical oppression of being Chicano in a historic Chicano area. The movement was an opportunity to advocate for recognition and rights as Mexican Americans and become proud and empowered of the Mexican American identity that was oppressed. Today the celebration of cultural pride and identity is important considering discrimination against Mexican Americans still exists, but years ago, the culture was not celebrated.

Considering the significant content of the murals, the locations are just as important and relate to one another. Often the murals were designed to relate to the original function of the businesses at the buildings, such as Familia y es Vida depicting social life at Garachitos and Brighter Days representing mental health and treatment. In other cases like Educacion and 8 Stages in the Life of a Chicana, the murals are located where the community sees it a lot doing things central to their lives like going to school, going to church, picking up pan dulce, and eating at local restaurants. The murals have become a significant element of Westside’s architecture and landscape as a public art space curated by the neighborhood.