GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Inspired by the underrepresented Latino/Latinx community, Grand Rapids artist and photographer Hugo Claudin says he signed on as a muralist for an anti-racism project to bring his community and culture together.
Diatribe, a Grand Rapids-based arts and culture nonprofit, launched Project 49507 “as an artist- and youth-led community commission that commissions seven local Black and Brown artists for large-scale murals in Black and Brown neighborhoods ” in zip code 49507.
In addition to bringing artwork to the neighborhood, students and local artists participating in the project can raise awareness and discuss issues such as redlining and poor funding that disproportionately affect minorities.
Diatribe assigned Claudine the Aleman Auto Repair LLC building, located at 1801 Division Ave. S, after he attended a series of listening sessions with community stakeholders to help shape the mural.
The mural, titled “Play With Me,” depicts a 3-year-old black child named Sincere catching bubbles from a Latina woman while the Honduran flag floats on his back. Lempira, an indigenous resistance figure from Honduras, can be seen floating in one of those bubbles.
“You will be part of the design when you encounter it,” said Claudin. “I’m hoping that a kid will come home from school or wherever and see this mural here and go up. And then hopefully mom or dad will be around to take a picture.”
Claudin, who immigrated to Grand Rapids from Guadalajara in 1980, said he wanted to make the artwork a tribute to Catalino Aleman, the owner of the Auto Repair Shop, and the surrounding neighborhood. He also wanted it to be an interactive piece by adding rock climbing clips inside one of the floating bubbles.
Along the bottom of the mural is the name of an Italian immigrant, Sunseri, who donated land to a neighborhood in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.
The same neighborhood is Aleman’s home.
The new mural is his first major piece, Claudin said. Because of that, he made it a priority to do his research and listen to the children and residents in the 49507 zip code.
In his original work, Caludin wanted to create a mural about the killing of black motorist Patrick Lyoya by a former Grand Rapids police officer following a traffic stop on April 4. He said the community was waiting for a more positive message.
Connected: The police officer who killed Patrick Lyoya is charged with murder
“In the hearings, there was one person there who didn’t want to see more violence portrayed in the neighborhood,” Claudin said.
After consulting with other artists on what to do next, Claudin decided to take a different path than he had originally planned.
“I hope it represents a more playful image, that represents the kids who live in this neighborhood,” Claudin said. “I want to pay tribute to those kids, engage with them and let them know they belong here.”
The official activation of the mural, along with a neighborhood block party, is scheduled for September 2.
For more information about the Garfield Park neighborhood-wide anti-racism art project, visit The Diatribe’s website here.
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