Yes, this post is late, but I have an excuse. I've been running around some, preparing for a wonderful event which happens tomorrow, Saturday, December 14, right here in San Pancho.
An artist from St. Louis, Missouri, is visiting us for a couple of months, painting his bold and colorful works while working on a book about how Mexico effects his art, which already had a surprising Mexican flavor to it given that he's from St. Louis, Missouri. Craig Downs is his name, and a few months ago he did a project in St. Louis that captivated me when I saw the pictures. It was a mural, painted in black and white figures and designs, which was actually a giant Paint by Numbers...and who, I ask you, does not like Paint by Numbers? Especially when it's on a wall and you get to use house paint and long brushes and it's open to every age of person from 2 right on up.
Craig wanted to do one here in San Pancho. So we drove around together looking at empty boring walls, of which there are not really all that many in San Pancho. Our main goal, though, was to be sure the wall we chose would not be sold in a few months and knocked down to make way for a new apartment house or convenience store.
Lo and behold, right down there on the soccer field (or campo de futbol) below my house stands a plain and very boring square building that houses the bathrooms and changing rooms for the very active San Pancho soccer scene. Futbol is a big deal here for nearly everyone, including children. Coincidentally enough, my friend and main house helper, Waldo Antonio Delgado Ruíz, is something of a futbol star in these parts and has some pull with the futbol folk. In a matter of hours, Waldo received permission for Craig to paint his mural on that plain little building of baños and vestidores.
So that's what he's been doing all week and it's looking amazing. Here's a teeny glimpse which doesn't even include what he did in eight hours of work today.
In the meantime, I've been buzzing around town posting flyers and and passing out handbills and inviting the whole dang town to come and paint a piece of mural. Curt and Cele donated hotdogs and Louis from the new Blue Gila hamburger joint is lending us his grill. Glenn's the hotdog chef. The staff at entreamigos has been as generous with their time, stuff, and knowledge as always. Jeremy's moving tables and ladders in his pickup truck and lending us his boombox, Bill K. cut us some lively CD's, Waldo went down and weed-whacked the perimeter of the building, Lynn and Gretchen and Tom and Evelyn have pledged their assistance (praise the goddesses), and all the kids leaving the elementary school next door have stopped by daily to comment on Craig's artwork and promise to come and paint.
So we'll see what happens tomorrow. Next week's blog will document Painting Day. Hope you'll stop by for the photos and the stories and to share in the fun.
counting the days till I can see it!
Posted by: Sheri | December 15, 2013 at 09:55 AM
Looking forward to photos of the final wall and all the fun involved!
Posted by: Jeanne | December 15, 2013 at 05:38 AM