San Antonio – A mural on the city’s West Side that brought the community together and connected people to their culture got a facelift.
“It depicts four of the Aztec legends,” said Israel Rico, the artist of the “Leyendas Aztecas” mural that was created in 1998 and is located along South Brazos Street.
Rico was one of the original artists who painted it.
He said one of the reasons it was created was in hopes it would help Mexican Americans connect with their Aztec roots.
“It’s important because it connects to our cultural roots,” Rico said.
The mural restoration was completed with funds from the nonprofit SAY Si and coordinated by San Anto Cultural Arts.
“When I found out the sun was eating up this wall, I said, ‘it needs to be restored,’” Rico said.
Last year, a group of local artists began working on the mural.
“We had volunteers. It was during COVID times, so we kept the volunteers to a minimum,” said April Rocha, one of the artists who worked on the project.
Rocha said they used about 15 different colors.
“We paint over what is there and we make sure to leave it exactly as it is because it is a restoration,” Rocha said.
She said they used a clear coat to protect the mural.
Rico said the mural inspired him to learn more about his family history.
He hopes others get inspired too.