DES MOINES

Tuvimos un gran fin de semana con los Iowa Cubs (Los Demonios) en el estadio de béisbol con el Fin de Semana de Celebración de la Herencia Latina. Gracias a todos los talentosos artistas e intérpretes que nos entretuvieron como Mariachi Amatlán, Sebastian y Jasmine, Ballet Folklórico Estrellas de Jalisco, Ballet Folklórico Jóvenes Embajadores, Escaramuza Quetzalli, Escaramuza Zacatecanas Infantil y los Luchadores Latin Thunder y Corn Boi. Hola America y Hola Iowa y el Latino Heritage Festival de Iowa tuvimos el honor de colaborar con los Iowa Cubs en esta celebración de la cultura latina. Y un agradecimiento especial a Tito’s Vodka por su amable donación al Latino Heritage Festival.

We had a great weekend at the ballpark with the Iowa Cubs (Los Demonios) and the Latino Heritage Celebration Weekend.

Thank you to all the talented artists and performers who entertained us. Mariachi Amatlan, Ballet Folklórico Estrellas de Jalisco, Ballet Folklórico Jóvenes Embajadores, Escaramuza Quetzalli, Escaramuza Zacatecanas Infantil, Sebastian and Jasmine, and Luchadores Latin Thunder and Corn Boi.

Hola America and Hola Iowa and Iowa’s Latino Heritage Festival are honored to collaborate with the Iowa Cubs in this celebration of Latino Culture. And a special thank you to Tito’s Vodka for their kind donation to the Latino Heritage Festival.

“Just like the monarch butterfly, we are migratory beings in search of a better place and a future full of opportunities,” read Patricia Hampton of Witter Gallery from a plaque that accompanies the mural. “In winter, we too cross distances and challenges to achieve our dreams.”

This is the third mural the artists from Zacatlan, Mexico have created in Storm Lake and the first installed outdoors. The muralists will return in April to do a fourth at Buena Vista University. Although the exact location has not been determined, it will be outdoors, said Julie Steinfeld, president of Witter Gallery board.

The mural project has been undertaken by Witter Gallery to provide more public art in Storm Lake, and in time become a tourist attraction. Murals by the same artists line walls and buildings in Zacatlan and have made the town a destination.

The butterfly mural was funded by a $10,000 grant from Dick Davis, the California benefactor who not only supports the Mexican artists, but the arts in Storm Lake. The

City of Storm Lake matched the grant, but not all of the funding was used.

Much of the tile for the mural was cut and fit together in Mexico. Sections of the mural were shipped in carefully marked boxes.

Using grout, the sections were adhered to the brick wall at Valentina’s. An overhang on the building makes it desirable to stand up to Iowa weather.

The four artists spent last week in Storm Lake finishing the large-scale artwork.

When asked about her vision for the mural, lead artist Mary Carmen Olvera said, “I was looking for colors similar to colors I would see in Zacatlan and Puebla. They were chosen with emotion,” she said of the warm tones in the monarchs, the greens of the trees and sparkling blue of the lake. Tiny pieces of mirror simulate the effect of the sun on the water.

Mary Carmen said her favorite part of the experience in Storm Lake was involving Spanish classes from Buena Vista University and passers by. Locals were invited to place some of the thousands of tiles in the mural.

“When I first saw it I felt something warm and hearing the music it made me think how the immigrants came here and came so far,” said city council member Maria Ramos, who hails from Mexico and attended the dedication. “A piece of me is in there.”

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