La Hermanita

A group of University retirees had a fabulous field trip this morning to nearby Watsonville to learn about murals, culture, and community art. Artist Kathleen Crocetti, who is also a master fundraiser, networker, teacher, organizer, energy source and general inspirer, led the tour and explained Watsonville Brillante, her mosaic mural project, begun in 2019. The Civic Plaza parking garage(above) gives a glimpse of the scope of this undertaking. The large center piece was designed by San Francisco artist Juan Fuentes, who grew up in Watsonville; as with all the panels, it was fabricated by a team of adult and student volunteers. It took a full year to complete. The indigenous La Hermanita is, according to Kathleen, “emblematic of the struggle for both womens’ rights and cultural rights.” There are two other sides of the garage that feature more murals, and a few blank spaces that will be filled soon.

Watsonville is a farming community, mainly Hispanic, but rich in dozens and dozens of other immigrant cultures. The smaller pieces that line the rest of the building are symbolic of the diverse population of Watsonville, and were designed and fabricated by community members to represent their cultures. There are over a hundred groups represented. 

Kathleen was my grandkids’ art teacher in middle school. She worked with so many young people in town, teaching them how to make mosaic art. I’ve often said that there’s not an empty flat surface left here—walls, stairs, benches, bridges—all fair game.

The extra shows Mr S in the studio, learning the mural making process and helping to cut and place a few tiles.

Here is a link to a much earlier post that details the first installations in this project.