‘915’ mural seeks to ‘elevate spirits’ on El Paso shooting anniversary
EL PASO, Texas -- El Paso artist Tino Ortega began the ’915’ balloon mural the week before the one-year mark of the Aug. 3 anniversary.
“It’s about keeping hope,” he said. “Being elevated in a time that is down where it can keep you down and rising above it.”
A little after 6 a.m. on Tuesday of last week, Ortega pulled out his nine foot ladder and spray cans. He slowly began to mark the outlines of ‘915’ on the north side of the wall. “It’s cool because it’s interpretive. It can be whatever you want it to be. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s just your idea of it,” he said as he kept spraying the tan brick wall.
Local artist Paola Martinez arrived about 15 minuets after Ortega to assist in the creative process. “I am out here helping Tino,” Martinez said. “Being apart of the community is something that is very important to me,” she said.
“I believe the balloons represent uplifting the community,” Martinez told our photographer.
When asked her reaction to the mass shooting on Aug. 3, 2019? “It broke my heart,” she said. “Something terrible happened, but we are definitely united and we are a family,” she added.
They team of two came back after ending the first day when the sun went down. They spent several more hours during the second day.
As the sun began to set and nearly 40 cans later they were adding the finishing touches on the mural. Ortega took out a drill and screwed in plugs to tie in ribbons for those coming to view the piece to hold onto. “It was about 13 hours to completes this piece,” Ortega said. Both artist sitting underneath the mural looking up at the piece, tired from the hours of work.
“I think artist have a responsibility to bring empathy and emotion into their artwork where the viewer can relate in a way that creates change,” Ortega said.
Martinez added, “We stand united and we stand together regardless of what troubles come forth, or even what we are living with nowadays, We are a community and we are strong."
Ortega said this mural shouldn’t get buffed out like the first one.
“We got permission of the building owner, from the business everything,” Ortega said. “It wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for CBD holistic out here. They reached out to the property owner and the other businesses out here. They got the approval for this. This wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for them.”
