City offers Casner Building wall for Blackwell mural
By JOHN DANIEL GARCIA
johndaniel@bigbendnow.com
MARFA – The City of Marfa agreed last Thursday to host a mural by El Paso artist Jesus “Cimi” Alvarado on a prominent wall in the city at the request of the Blackwell School Alliance.
The mural, which will be located on the eastern wall of the Casner Building (City Hall) facing the Stripes convenience store and U.S. 67/90 (San Antonio Avenue), Blackwell School Alliance director Gretel Enck said, will incorporate stories and symbols of the rich history of Marfa to translate the city’s cultural and historical diversity into a work of art.
Enck requested the Casner Building wall due to its prominence in the city.
“When people come into town from Alpine, it’ll be one of the first things they see,” she said.
The mural, she added, will not cover up the old Casner Motor Co. painted sign on the building. The mural has also been approved to stand for at least 10 years.
“Our goal is to unearth the stories and symbols that depict the diverse community and culture found here,” she said, explaining that part of Alvarado’s work it to engage with community members to create a design for his work. “This mural will be a point of community pride. [Alvarado] has an ability to reflect actual stories and symbols from the community, and I love his appreciation for community conversation.”
Alvarado is an accomplished muralist who has created works in his home community of Segundo Barrio in El Paso.
The artist was visited last year by Marfa High School art students on a field trip with Chinati Education Director Michael Roch.
Alvarado also held a workshop for the students in Marfa, where the children created their own works of art in black and white on canvas in which they shared their stories and gathered found images from the city’s landscape.
Some of the paintings, Enck said, are currently on display at the Marfa ISD library.
The mural, Enck said, will be the first of two planned by Alvarado, though the second, smaller mural at Blackwell School Park will need to be approved by the City of Marfa Parks Board.
“There’s a little wall at Blackwell Park where we hope to have an echo image of the main mural to tie it all together,” she said.
Over the next month, the design will be finalized and will go through an approval process through the city, with hopes to complete the murals by spring.
In the meantime, Blackwell School is raising funds for the estimated $15,000 mural with a GoFundMe account.
The school has so far raised $7,000 in foundation grants, as well as $5,000 for a fundraising block party and menudo cook-off that the school is hosting on April 28.
The school also has two additional grant proposals submitted, one of which will target City of Marfa Hotel Occupancy Tax funds.
“I think this, as public art, is a really important addition and counterpoint to the other artwork we have here in Marfa,” Marfa Mayor Ann Marie Nafziger said of the mural. “I think it’s fantastic that the council let them use that side of the building, and we’re all excited that Blackwell is bringing this big mural to Marfa.”
To donate to the project, please visit https://www.gofundme.com/blackwellblockparty.
More information on The Blackwell School Alliance can be found at www.theblackwellschool.org.