Abel Perez Arita
Juan Velazquez (third from the left) with a team of artists and volunteers who painted the Emiliano Zapata mural on Hemphill Street
Fort Worth artist Juan Velázquez had been wanting to do an Emiliano Zapata mural for a while — something to pay homage to the Mexican revolutionary who fought for land ownership rights for peasant farmers in the early 1900s.
When a supporter of Hemphill No Se Vende — the group speaking out against rezoning that may lead to the pricing out of current residents and business owners — approached Velázquez about putting the mural on Hemphill Street, it just made sense.
So, last Saturday, Velázquez collaborated with fellow artist Seriow, who lives in the area, and other volunteers to paint the Emiliano Zapata mural at 2500 Hemphill St. The mural spans about 30 feet, featuring an image of Zapata and the words "Hemphill No Se Vende" beside him.
"[Zapata] was just fighting for people's right to land," Velázquez says. "I know it's a little different from rezoning. It's not the same thing; you can't compare them. But, in this case, there are people who are fighting for the right to live somewhere because they don't want to get priced out of their neighborhood. I think a lot of people would agree with making a neighborhood better and investing in the neighborhood to fix the roads and things like that, but there's a difference between fixing a neighborhood and completely pricing people out of it."
Back in December, the City of Fort Worth intended to move forward with plans to rezone a portion of Hemphill Street for the purpose of guiding future development in the area. However, the effort was halted after some residents expressed concerns that future development could raise property taxes, force out current residents and business owners, and, ultimately, lead to gentrification.
Members of Hemphill No Se Vende argue that a similar situation happened during the redevelopment of Magnolia Avenue. As new projects came in, rent went up and priced out those previously living and doing business there — many of whom were Hispanic.
Velázquez, too, says he has friends who recall a similar experience on Magnolia. And while he loves the vibrant community the Near Southside street has become, he also doesn't want the Hispanic presence that was once there to be forgotten.
That's why, on Sunday, Velázquez will be painting a mural of Frida Kahlo on the wall of Paco's Mexican Cuisine at 1508 W. Magnolia Ave. He's inviting anyone who's willing to help to come and participate: "No matter what their skill level is, we'll find something for them to do."
"For this mural, I'm not trying to get rid of the people that are [currently] there. I love Magnolia Avenue the way it is," Velázquez says. "With this mural, I'm just saying, remember the history that was here before."
Announcements about future projects can be found on Velázquez's Instagram page, @velazquez_art_.
