By: Angelica Barreto Perez
February 26, 2016: It’s crazy to think that this day happened 7 years ago. I still remember how nervous and excited I was about the inauguration of Bi Nostra Kultuur. At that time, she was still a high school student, who loved anything she had to do with art. However, you don’t know how proud I am to have been a part of such an incredible artistic project today.
I remember arriving just before the activity started, the traffic to get there was insane, let alone finding a parking spot. The streets were blocked and the place was surrounded by security guards to make sure everything was safe for the public. The mural was illuminated by these big lights in their full splendor, demonstrating the hard work each youth on the team put into when the organization was a small community project. For the first time everything felt real; I finally recorded what we had done: As high school students, we had finished an entire mural representing our culture, our initiative to beautify our town of Añasco, and put our multidisciplinary skills to use. I will always be grateful to all the adults who supported and believed in us, because without them this initiative would not have been possible.
As I walked through the different tables where the artists had their crafts for sale, excitement and happiness ran through my veins at seeing so much movement of people. This event was not only for us students and muralists, but also for the whole community to enjoy it and different artists and artisans to have the opportunity to promote their work and show how far art can take us. Time passed very quickly, as we enjoyed the activity together with friends and family, and before we knew it, the ceremony was already beginning. To be honest, I don’t remember all the formalities or the protocol act; I only know that all those who had participated and helped in the creation of the mural were called to the stage before the public. The stage was surrounded by a lot of people, everyone was looking at us, taking a lot of photos from left to right. If I were to describe our faces at that moment, it could only be with one word: PRIDE.
As a ribbon was cut to officially unveil the mural, we were all handed markers to sign as evidence of our arduous picturesque journey. I have always loved to draw and do a lot of crafting for fun; but I had never signed any of my work before in my life. This was the first time my name had been on a piece of art, and I’m pretty sure everyone who wrote their names that night felt like they completed some kind of achievement in their respective lives.
For many it became the first signature of many works to come, while for others it marked a moment in their lives in which they were part of something great, something that would remain in the minds of many Puerto Ricans from Añasco for the rest of their lives. lives. I am grateful for the opportunity to be able to participate and help Ciudad Museo in its first murals, although I admit that it was never an easy process. We always have fun in the process and enjoy every second of it.
About Angélica Barreto Pérez
