Aqui Se Respira Lucha

Stretching from Allegheny Avenue to Westmoreland Street along Front Street, along the first and second floors of 28 homes and businesses, the artwork highlights the community’s history and culture. The mural imagery symbolizes migration and the growing of roots in a new community – something many community members experienced first-hand. The mural also depicts portraits of community leaders and Porch Light participants. The image of a young woman seated with flowers in her hair and hands folded on her lap is of a Porch Light participant named Natasha. Natasha attended Porch Light workshops diligently every week at a social service agency called APM and became passionate about art. She was ultimately trained to professionally install the mural and became a critical crew member to lead artist Betsy Casañas. The two men on the grocery store (on the northwest corner of the intersection of Westmorland Street and Front Street) are brothers named Juan and Angel. They were Porch Light participants for 3 years, overcame addiction, and became valued and skilled artists through the Porch Light process. The mural is the culmination of three years of partnership with APM and is a beautiful testament to the surrounding community members and Porch Light participants.

Participating Community Partners: Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha (APM)