Community Mural to be unveiled with Reveal Party after Paint Day
BRAWLEY – Brushes, spray cans and rollers were working along the wall of a building on the corner of S. 9th and G streets on Friday, June 21 for Community Mural Paint Day in Brawley.
The small band volunteers painted along the west wall of the old Veteran of Foreign Wars building, located at 912 G Street, as part of the Viva Maze Civic Engagement Arts Project “to promote civic engagement in Imperial Valley,” according to a press release from Viva Maze and Los Amigos de la Comunidad.
The mural project is one of at least three mural projects that Viva Maze is working on before their Far South/ Border North Initiative grant ends on August 30 of this year, Viva Maze Lead Artist, Roy Dorantes, said.
Dorantes said the Brawley mural and another upcoming mural in Calexico are being created by local muralist Michael Lopez and local artist Elizabeth Ibarra – who is also working on a mobile mural project – as a way for Viva Maze to continue to promote civic engagement, and in particular voting.
“We spoke with them about the concept and they, on their own, came up with some designs until we came up with what we thought was what we wanted to convey,” Dorantes told IVP on Friday.
Dorantes said once the mural in Brawley is completed, Viva Maze will hold a “Mural Reveal Party” event next Friday where the community is invited to see the mural and partake in the happenings on the day.
He said once the Brawley mural is completed and the reveal party event is held, the group will move on to another mural for Calexico. The location of that mural is to be determined.
“We chose civic engagement as a way for the community of move forward (because) without a vote you don’t have a voice, so that is why we chose that,” Dorantes said.
“(We use the arts) because the arts touch the human brain in a way that no other activity does...it just touches the whole human being,” Dorantes said. “We are combining arts – such as painting, theatre, writing, music, arts and crafts, cosplaying, lucha libre (wrestling) –, hoping to add a dynamic edge to the idea of civic engagement, hoping to make it fun and (into) something that is more acceptable in some groups.
“We feel that there are some groups of people who may be underprivileged who may feel that their vote or their voice doesn’t matter,” he said. “The aim is to promote that our community is valuable – that your vote matters – and that’s what we’re doing through all of these combinations of activities using arts as a vehicle to reach the community.
“We are here to try to change that and let them know that their vote and their voice does matter,” he said.
On Friday, a mix of teen and younger volunteers came out to lend a hand to Lopez, including the Aguilar family of Brawley.
“I think community events are important for everybody. It’s always good,” Brawley resident and business owner, Joe Aguilar, said as two of his young daughters glided brushes across the once-blue wall.
“I think it’s part of tradition, as well as the young generations need a little bit more information these days, especially when it comes to votes and passing laws,” the father said.
“They’re both very artistic...but regarding during a mural, this is their first time,” their mother, Maria Aguilar, said.
“We always like to be part of our community – we own a business here in Brawley – and we always try to get involved in events,” she said. “We wanted our daughters to be part of it as well, to be involved and start knowing it is important to vote.”
The parents of sisters and young community painters, Angela and Ariana Aguilar, said they hope the older two of their four children “create memories” from engaging in the Community Mural Paint Day.
“I told them it will be cool because when you grow up that when you pass by the streets and see it and you’ll know that you were part of it,” Maria Aguilar said, “so I think it’s an awesome thing to remember as they grow up.”
Viva Maze’s Mural Reveal Party will be held on Friday, June 28 from 6-8 p.m. at the mural site, located at 9123 G Street in Brawley. The event will include the unveiling of the completed community mural, as well as free face painting, cosplayers, children’s games, drinks and snacks.
Viva Maze will be holding more events and participating on other events throughout the summer, Dorantes said. For more information on Viva Maze projects, follow the project on social media at facebook.com/VIVAMAZEPROJECT and @VivaMaze on Instagram.