'Sol del rio' meaning 'sun of the river' in Spanish was created as a demonstration of colorful celebration that enriches the city of Del Rio and its culture. As a sunset fills the sky with warm, vivid colors for a short moment, the beautiful display of color in folklorico dancing also appears as a flash of light, quickly disappearing. This mural aimed to capture this beautiful moment in time where we can all be reminded of how beautiful our culture is.
The mural is located along the exterior wall of Plaza Hall in historic Barrio San Felipe. The owner, Alfredo Cardenas had been hesitant for several years on adding a mural to his large canvas of a wall. As his circumstances began to change, a proposal I had submitted for a mural here was accepted by him and Casa de la cultura, the non-profit organization leading this mural project. Alfredo had begun experiencing deteriorating eyesight when I began this project. As a surprise to him, I coordinated with his daughters and granddaughters to have them model as the dancers in the scene.
Each of them were delighted to be part of this project. This mural was important to the community and now it had another dimension of personal meaning to the Cardenas Family. Their involvement was kept secret until the unveiling of the mural, and Mr. Cardenas hadn't noticed the resemblance because of his failing eyesight.
Mr. Cardenas was undoubtedly emotional about this as well as the entire family. Afterwards he jokingly scolded me for making me cry, as it was something he 'never' did. Since the unveiling, Mr. Cardenas has sadly passed. I am grateful i had the opportunity to give their family this special gift while he was still with them and that they got to share this experience together. 'Sol del rio' is about the beauty of community and culture and their was no greater way to display this than on the wall of Plaza Hall.