Community-driven mural project explores identities of St. Paul's West Side

A local artist is transforming the wall of a St. Paul building with bright yellows, reds and shades of brown. There's a woman cooking, children looking eagerly at her working hands, plants and faces, all in reference to the diverse regions of Central and South America where many in this West Side neighborhood have roots.

The project, called "Legends of Identity," or "Leyendas de Identidad," was inspired by community engagement, namely interviews and conversations with youth attending Riverview West Side School of Excellence, a Spanish immersion school near the site of the mural, said artist Daniela Bianchini, who lives in Minneapolis.

The project, funded by a University of Minnesota CURA (Center for Urban & Regional Affairs) grant, was postponed for a year due to the pandemic. Still, Bianchini and her partner, international muralist Pablo Kalaka, were able to find inspiration online.

"The teachers were super excited we were able to meet with the kids via Zoom. They interviewed their parents and their grandparents, and we were able to actually reach the community in a different way," Bianchini said.

Bianchini began painting on the building of Mexican grocery store and restaurant El Burrito Mercado last week, and hopes to be finished Wednesday, depending on the weather, she said.

Owner Milissa Silva said the business is thrilled to be home to the mural.

"We had been wanting to do a mural here anyway, so it worked out great. It's beautiful, I love the colors in it and the imagery. It feels very captivating of our community, the diversity and the different stories intertwined," Silva said.

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