Artist Project

It was a socially-distanced activity, in the Richmond Art Center’s courtyard.

Early this summer, I was one of seven recipients of funding to realize an artist project sponsored by the Richmond Art Center. They gave us freedom to come up with a project that reflected the current state of affairs, something for which I am very grateful. Carmen D. Melendez, long time friend and fellow artist, assisted me.

People collectively designed this one, which Carmen and I had lettered with pencil.

The goal for my project was to bring Black, Afro-Latinx and Latinx community members together to create a mural that affirms the Black Lives Matter movement. The idea came from an invitation by members of the Richmond Our Power Coalition.

The background was painted, while the letters were covered with tape.

During the project, Richmond community members gathered in Richmond Art Center’s courtyard to paint several mobile murals on canvas, one of them in Spanish, to be displayed here in Richmond. Our plan is to call on several afro-latino residents to hold the Spanish language banner where residents can see it.

The text on the largest banner states: “Las vidas negras valen lo mismo que la tuya y la mia.” – “Black lives are worth the same as yours and mine.”