The McAllen Heritage Center has added color to its walls with the addition of a new mural that represents the city and its history.
The “Greetings from McAllen” mural depicts a postcard from circa 1934 that features McAllen City Hall and other local destinations.
The painting was selected to reflect the city with “iconic emblems” that represent McAllen. In a way, the mural also serves to highlight the evolution of time as it dates back to the museum’s time as a post office in 1935.
“We put in the new McAllen City Hall, the elevation of our museum building, of course, the palm trees, and the green jay that is our city bird,” Elva Cerda of the McAllen Heritage Center said. “We also added the hibiscus — our city flower.”
Lupe Hernandez, 45, a local artist from McAllen, accepted the challenge of recreating the postcard with the addition of new details such as including more buildings, a flower, and other small changes.
For Hernandez, an art teacher at Hinovations Art Gallery in McAllen, the mural is more than just a representation of history but rather also a stepping stone of inspiration for future artists.
“I love doing these kinds of murals,” said Hernandez, adding that as an art instructor he wants to motivate aspiring artists to keep practicing and developing their work. “That is what we need here, more positive murals and inspiration for young artists.”
He has previously collaborated with students, who won art competitions, to create murals and other creative projects.
Hernandez believes that art is the key to bringing joy into people’s lives.
Throughout the four-month project, he was motivated by the idea of community members coming from across the Rio Grande Valley to take pictures in front of the mural.
“We want to revitalize downtown and make it a destination for people.” said Cerda, who hopes the mural and other works like it will not just be a source of pride for the community but a sense of ownership of the region. “A lot of people have been coming there (the mural) to take pictures with family and a lot of our winter tourists love going there to take a picture and sending them back home.
“That is what we are trying to do — maybe develop some kind of concept of points of pride where people can go there and take photographs with friends and family.”
Valley residents will be able to view the mural at the center’s first-ever McAllen Downtown Market on Main.
The event will run from 10 a.m.to 4 p.m. on April 16. The market will be held at La Placita Park near the center, located at 301 South Main St. in McAllen.
“The market is going to be for local vendors, nothing that is commercially made but everything that is handmade or vintage. We are also going to have some food trucks, and we are going to have live music in front of the ‘Greetings from McAllen’ mural,” Cerda said, adding that there will be pet adoptions as well.
According to Cerda, the museum hopes to make the downtown marketplace a monthly occurrence where local vendors and musicians will have the opportunity to showcase their talent and creations.
The center will host an official ribbon cutting ceremony for the mural at 9:30 a.m. on April 22.
