Mural is Unveiled at 2007 Texas Ave.
by Cassandra Yardeni

For the past seven years, twenty-seven year-old Ernesto Hernandez has contributed to the beautification of the city by hand-painting murals on buildings throughout El Paso. His latest work, titled “Success is a Journey: Try It,” pays homage to three current role models as well as the disciplines of science, medicine and music.

To execute the project, Hernandez, who has previously painted about 25 murals in El Paso, collaborated with La Mujer Obrera, a grassroots woman worker’s organization, and Aliviane Inc., a private, non-profit community-based organization dedicated to treating and preventing substance abuse. While La Mujer Obrera provided the materials to produce the mural, Aliviane Inc. furnished the workspace, offering the muralist an outer wall of the agency’s Downtown building. “Mujer was really interested in doing a mural, and since there was nothing like that around Paisano, we asked the people at Aliviane. They were really excited, and this is the only mural they’ve allowed at their building, so it’s something I’m proud of,” says Hernandez.

In order to complete the mural, Hernandez, a self-taught artist, enlisted the help of students from Bowie High School’s MEChA Group, a student from Aliviane Inc. and friend and fellow artist Aron Venegas.

Starting with a blank wall, Hernandez’s creativity and dedication gave way to a beautiful and intricate work of art. Moved by “everything that I see,” the muralist draws inspiration from “the regular person, the community.” Coming from a humble family, Hernandez says he is “inspired by local artists and most of all, the history and culture of our people.” Of the finished product, he offers, “The mural is for the community, to present another piece of public art to view.”

The 30-foot-by-10-foot work of art features hometown hero Danny Olivas, who recently became the first Mexican-American to travel into outer space. Flanking the astronaut are two other people of note, NBA star Eduardo Nájera and Mayan human rights activist Rigoberta Menchú Tum. A Chihuahua native, Nájera is only the third Mexico-born player to join the NBA. Throughout his career, he has made significant philanthropic contributions to the Latino community. In 1992, Rigoberta Menchú Tum became the first indigenous woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. By showcasing these success stories, Hernandez hopes to inspire others. “I wanted to show kids the different career paths that one might choose, to show them positive figures and positive leaders,” he explains. Several symbols swirl about the vibrant painting as well, symbolizing science, medicine and music as other occupational possibilities.

Juan Olivas, Danny’s father, had the opportunity to take his son to see the mural before its official dedication on Sept. 7th. “[Danny] was very inspired, he thought it was very well done,” says Olivas. He adds, “He’s put a lot of heritage in the mural. It’s not really about Danny, it’s about Hispanics and our culture—where we came from and where we’re going.”

The astronaut’s sentiments echo those of the artists, as Juan Olivas reveals, “[Danny’s] biggest hope is that children will wake up and make something of themselves. They are very capable of achieving anything they wish to.”

Hernandez’s own list of achievements is growing steadily, as he plans to continue and even expand upon his artistic contributions to the El Paso community. He has organized a collective of artists (to include writers, painters, musicians and poets) known as Movimiento Hunab Ku who work together performing cross-cultural events and concerts throughout the city. Hernandez is also arranging for muralists in various mediums from around the nation to produce a mass mural on both sides of the U.S./Mexico border. As Juan Olivas attests, “[Ernesto Hernandez] is a very inspiring man, he has a lot of heart and I can see his emotions in his work.”