Murals of life

The woman I spoke with at Wellstone Action—an organization created to ensure the legacy of Paul and Sheila Wellstone—remembered Gustavo Lira well. She remembered the work Paul Wellstone did to help Gustavo attain citizenship in America and ensure that he would be able to stay in Minnesota with his new family. She was happy to hear of all Gustavo has accomplished and that he was pursuing what he believes to be his destiny. Tears welled up in Gustavo's eyes as he relayed his story to me about being an immigrant from Oaxaca, Mexico, trying to make a life for himself in Minneapolis. The tears began to cascade down his cheeks when he spoke of his appreciation and gratitude for Paul Wellstone.
Were it not for Paul Wellstone, Gustavo would not be fulfilling his mission to help others. He would not be teaching people in our communities the necessity and benefits of expressing oneself with art. Gustavo is known for bringing diverse groups of people together to create public murals that depict aspects of each contributors life. The murals involve many cultural and societal symbols intuitively painted in sequence by the artists involved. When the mural is finished, a story appears. A story is forever evolving, therefore a mural can inspire society to make manifest the messages found within it, and help the story thrive.

Gustavo has appreciated art since he was a child. At the age of 14 he won a contest allowing him to receive free formal painting classes by a professional artist from Spain. He continued taking classes for three years and then went to Europe to study art. He then went back to Mexico and began to build his art career. Gustavo made a living selling his paintings at numerous private galleries. His art was well respected and appreciated by many, but Gustavo wasn't fulfilled. Something was missing; his soul felt empty.

Gustavos's paintings were academic in nature. They were created so people could easily understand and interpret them. They weren't a true expression of Gustavo's spirit, and because of this, he didn't feel his work was affecting people in the way he wished. The paintings Gustavo wanted to create had a purpose far beyond aesthetics. Gustavo's paintings from that point on were to be expressions from his heart and soul—they were rooted in his culture and the culture of the indigenous people of Mexico. They were intended to help people reach within themselves and create personal meaning, to unleash repressed feelings and suppressed stories, ultimately causing people to commune together.
It was time for the inception of Gustavo's public murals. The ingenuity he was destined to share with the world was going to be bestowed upon the citizens of Minnesota.

Gustavo met a woman in Mexico who lived in Minnesota. They fell in love, got engaged, and came to Minneapolis to begin a new life together. After he spent some time in the Twin Cities, Gustavo went back to Mexico to visit his family. His fiancé was pregnant at the time with Gustavo's and her first child. After his visit, Gustavo traveled back to the United States to get married and become a father. When he arrived at the Texas airport, they told him he had no legal passport and he was deported back to Mexico. Gustavo and his fiancé were devastated. Gustavo wanted to be here for the birth of his first child. His soon-to-be-wife and Gustavo communicated with Senator Paul Wellstone and his staff, and explained to them their circumstances. Wellstone, a conscientious activist for immigrants and refugees, embraced Gustavo's case and fought for Gustavo to be allowed back into the United States. What would normally take a couple of years or more ended up being resolved within two months. Gustavo could come back to Minnesota. The timing of the final approval and Gustavo's arrival to Minneapolis from Mexico was too perfect to be considered a coincidence. Perhaps divine intervention enabled Gustavo to arrive in Minneapolis just in time to witness the birth of his first daughter, Isaura.

Paul Wellstone's tenacity and diligence was not only a gift to Gustavo, but to everyone in Minnesota who has had the fortune of witnessing Gustavo's murals, and for those who learn from him as he visits elementary and high schools, colleges, prisons and various community organizations explaining the meaning and benefits of creating public murals.

Although Gustavo feels most proud of his work with youth and immigrants, he works with all ages and cultures in the community to create murals. One of his most famous collaborative efforts is at The Resource Center of the Americas, at 3019 Minnehaha Avenue in South Minneapolis. Gustavo and artists Isa Estela Campos and Jose Luis Soto, along with at least 200 people from the community, came together to paint expressions of themselves, their culture, community, and journey thus far in life. (The Resource Center is where Paul Wellstone focused much of his energy helping immigrants and refugees who were seeking solace at the center.) This mural is an example of Gustavo's efforts to teach people that they can create peace within and among themselves by expressing themselves in art. Every person has a personal story and a unique style of expressing their story using various symbols in art. An example of this is in the upper left corner of the mural on the exterior of the center, where someone painted monarch butterflies. Monarch butterflies symbolize the journey to emancipation. The Monarchs are in the left corner relatively close to the beginning of the story, their wings are spread wide, and they are flying forward through the mural—through the story. The artist may not have planned to paint these butterflies, or to paint them moving forward, but in the moment of expressing him or herself, the 'Monarch' within the artist wanted to fly freely.

Diverse people came together, scarcely familiar with each other, and set out to paint their story. It seemed that everyone had experienced the same story because as each artist illustrated his or her piece of the story, one symbolic expression flowed into the next, painted by someone he or she had never met before and who may have appeared to be completely different from themself.
The act of creating a mural—and the mural itself—strengthens the notion that although our differences should be revered, deemed important, and are unequivocally beautiful, in essence we are so much alike and connected to each other. One soul energizes another, and so on, until the community, the earth and perhaps the entire universe is connected by the same energy—this energy being the essence of our personal stories in relation to the ultimate story of the universe.

Gustavo teaches and gives insight about the magic of the mural. He helps build confidence in children, youth, adults, and collectively throughout our diverse cultures and communities. He gives people the means and permission to express themselves and to have their stories validated. When Gustavo shares himself with others, he cloaks a comforter around every soul. He creates community and connection for all who are on a personal and collective journey through life. Gustavo is a gift to Minnesota and to any and everyone who has the fortune of hearing him speak, viewing his art or taking part in a mural he is creating. Gustavo is grateful to be fulfilling his destiny, but he has one regret. He never had the opportunity to thank Paul Wellstone in person. Is it possible that Gustavo along with other community members, are thanking Mr. Wellstone each time they create a mural?