by Community officials believe a new large-scale painting will increase interest in Race Street, which is struggling to lure foot traffic and keep businesses open in Fort Worth’s Riverside districts.
In order to paint a tribute to the neighborhood’s past and present on the wall of Carniceria La Superior facing Race Street, local muralist Juan Vel zquez was given a $30,000 commission by the Riverside Arts District and local businesses.
Riverside Arts District President Belinda Norris hopes the painting will draw attention to the neglected area and serve as the focal point of the streetscape transformation.
Riverside has a sizable and expanding Hispanic community, according to Norris. In addition to honoring the Hispanic community, we wanted to produce something that relates to Riverside’s past.
In order to make the 17-by-101-foot mural a surprise, Vel Zquez declined to give a rendering of it. However, he did disclose that the term “Riverside” will be displayed on a black wall in the style of Mexican folk art.
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Butterflies, cowboy boots, and vibrant flowers will all be painted to mimic the needlework found on traditional Hispanic clothing. On the right side of the wall, visitors will be able to stand for pictures with a pair of monarch butterfly wings.
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Carniceria La Superior has contributed $15,000 to the project and is hoping that by the end of the year, community members will assist raise the remaining monies.
Interested in financially contributing to the Riverside mural?
Guillermo Sigala Jr. can be reached at [email protected].
Guillermo Sigala Jr., managing partner of the Mexican butcher shop, stated, “We see this as an investment, not only in our business but also for the community that we know is going to attract a lot of people.” We need everyone’s assistance.
Struggling arts district
Established in the late 19th century, Fort Worth’s Riverside area was once a commercial district centered around the intersection of Race Street, Belknap Street, and Riverside Drive, which was known as Six Points.
Following the completion of the Belknap Street Bridge, which connected the neighborhood to downtown, the region saw substantial development in the ten years that followed its annexation by Fort Worth in 1922.
The area’s population shifted from being primarily white to being Hispanic and Black as a result of the 1949 flood, which also induced displacement. In the decades that followed, the neighborhood’s economy declined.
A year-long initiative to revitalize the portion of Race Street that extends from Oakhurst Scenic Drive to East Belknap Street was started in 2010 by the city of Fort Worth, developers, and community activists.
In an effort to make the northeast neighborhood, known as the Six Points Urban Village, the next hip attraction in Fort Worth, the city invested about $6 million in its environment, walkways, and traffic. Some owners have closed their doors a few years after opening, while small firms have found it difficult to get off the ground in the corridor.
The large-scale painting feels like the next best step for the Riverside Arts District, which has spent the last several years drawing visitors to the neighborhood through street festivals and vendor markets, according to Norris.
She claimed that it was a massive billboard for Race Street. You’ll see the Riverside Arts District when you turn the corner, and you’ll want to head down there to check out what’s happening.
Riverside business, artist step up
In the twenty years that his father has run their Mexican butcher shop, Sigala Jr. has witnessed the development of the Riverside area. As businesses come and leave in the neighborhood he loves, he has been both hopeful and disappointed.
At first, the butcher shop and the Riverside Arts District worked together on a temporary children’s mural as a side project, but Sigala Jr. saw that a more permanent piece of art was required, he said.
Vel Zquez was called by Sigala Jr. in late June to commission the enormous mural. The Fort Worth artist, who had lived in the area for three years and frequently shopped at the butcher shop for fajita meat, seized the chance right once.
The Fort Worth muralist has received praise from the community for his paintings that usually feature Hispanic celebrities, such as Mexican superhero Namor from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Latino baseball players.
My daughter and I have visited the shop numerous times, and I find it cool to be able to paint in a place I know well. According to Vel Zquez, it’s my village.
Sigala Jr. stated that because the company wishes to support the Riverside Arts District’s community goal, his family did not hesitate to pay half of the artist’s requested commission.
Riverside area council member Jeanette Martinez expressed her excitement about the initiative, saying she thinks it will boost local companies and foster a sense of community pride. She intends to fund the endeavor with $1,000.
Vel Zquez will work for a few days in the fall to make the mural’s vision a reality.
I’ve always advocated for people to recognize themselves in the artwork in the community, and that’s what I’m attempting to accomplish,” he said.
On October 18, during the Riverside Arts District’s 13th birthday celebration, the painting is anticipated to be presented.
The Fort Worth Report’s arts and culture reporter is David Moreno. Reach him at @davidmreports or [email protected].
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