The Mural Project
Our objective is to paint murals in your community that celebrate each other’s culture. With our mural creation, we provide artistic opportunities for communities to engage in dialogue, share their story, and participate in the mural’s development.
Need a Mural?
We are able to bring your mural idea to life! If you have a design idea, or no idea, we can help you create something you’ll love. It starts with you reaching out telling us you’re interested in a mural for your company, school, office, restaurant, home, etc. Our Artistic Director will meet with you to discuss ideas, location, design, and provide an estimate. Once the estimate is approved, a partial deposit is made and the mural creation is underway! Please complete the “request a mural quote” form to get started!
San Mateo County Office of Education
2 WALLS: 19’ X ’22’ and 16’ x 9’ January 2023-August 2023
What makes a thriving community?
Artist Pedro Rivas Lopez worked with youth from San Mateo County to design, and paint a mural to honor recently retired Congresswoman Jackie Speier and San Mateo County Supervisor Don Horsley, for their unwavering support of the youth of San Mateo County and their leadership on behalf of safe and supportive schools and communities.
The Mendota Mural
Madre Monarca
41’x21’ Mendota, CA City Hall
Completed July 2021
In June of 2020, Arte Aqua Viva joined partnerships with 655 Unidxs to collaborate on a community mural in Mendota, CA.
The Mendota Mural Project became a year long project where the final presentation, culminated in an Arts and Cultura Festival along with a mural unveiling.
Local artists virtually mentored 20+ Mendota Youth members to help them find their artistic voice, develop their social emotional skills, and provide them with an outlet of relief during these challenging times. Art kits, art lessons, and deep conversations about themes important to the community led to the design of our community mural. Over 100 people were involved in the painting process of the mural and uplifted many more. This community will forever be uplifted knowing they have painted their story together.
The Mendota Mural Project empowered local artists, youth, and brought art into a community filled with rich tradition, culture, and stories to share with the world.
This project is a pilot to the beginning of a larger and longer sustainable mission. We recognize the importance and transformative power of the arts and also understand that for black indigenous people of color (BIPOC) creating art is a privilege that comes with access, education, and support. Though larger cities in California's Central Valley like Merced, Fresno, and Bakersfield, might have some artistic engagement and celebration for our communities, most of the small towns in between lack this necessary outlet. These small towns, like Mendota, Firebaugh, Tranquility, Parlier, Chowchilla, etc… are left out of these artistic opportunities. It isn’t to say there isn’t any talent, there is plenty of talent. Most of this talent leaves the Central Valley to cities like San Francisco or Los Angeles to chase their Dreams. This shouldn't be the case. But it is.
Immigrating from a different country to Mendota with a family, would provide folks with a new opportunity to reach their Dreams. This Dream quickly becomes a sad reality for most immigrants (or citizens) living in rural areas like Mendota. The amount of farm labor, time spent figuring out how to make ends meet, along with all the troubles of adapting to a new world and language, and many other factors, does not allow our community to find the time and privilege to pull their easel out and start expressing their feelings with paint. Though art is within everyone’s reach, it is the lack of support, accessibility, and it taken seriously as a profession that creates a big disservice to our youth and communities. Our long term goal is to change this. Our vision is for the City of Mendota to become the epicenter of the vibrant community folks will want to drive off Highway 5/33 to witness such deep culture. This Mural Project will extend to the City of Firebaugh and all who wish to participate in this long term project. Please spread the word and support us with this necessary work and DREAM with us.
Why muralism?
This pandemic has demonstrated the relief humanity needs. We are all experiencing traumatic moments and some folks find themselves with very minimal resources, outlets of expression, and a safe space to feel okay.
Creative expression and art transform and heal- our communities need this. The therapeutic benefits of expression, art, and creating together uplifts one another, and helps heal. When youth and communities experience this, they will find a moment of relief.
Queer by Nature
The LGBTQ+ center commissioned artist Pedro Rivas Lopez to develop a design and paint the mural alongside community members, and staff, for an Art Hop event.
Fresno LGBTQ+ Resource Center
26’x14’ Completed November 2021
East Palo Alto Academy Mural
11’x22’
November 2022 to October 2023
Keep your head up
This mural will honor and commemorate the positive impact a former student had on their peers and the school’s culture. Artist Pedro Rivas Lopez works alongside a group of students to provide an outlet of creative expression and therapeutic relief through the process of mural creation. Youth Community Service and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative are the funders for this project.
The East Palo Alto Mural Project
Summer 2023 (Pending Funding)
Since 2019, AAV has been partnering with Taqueria La Cazuela to bring artistic cultural experiences to their customers and community. Each year, AAV and TLC host a Die De Los Muertos two day celebration! Their goal is to make this a more vibrant and inclusive space filled with art, cultural events, and a mural. We are currently asking community to help us raise funds to make this mural, and continue our artistic experiences for the years to come.
Please contact us if you would like more information.
$4,000 raised as of (10/01/2023)