Oaxaca
Artist: Jessica Gonzalez
Artist Statement:
Hello, my name is Jessica Gonzalez Montiel and I’m from Oaxaca, Mexico. I come from an indigenous background which is Mixteco. My cultural heritage means a lot to me since it’s who I am. I grew up speaking Mixteco and hearing it everyday. It’s a really beautiful language and the culture that comes with it. I was born in New York but grew up here in Watsonville, California. Watsonville has given me and my family so many opportunities that I’m very grateful for. Watsonville is my home town as well to many and it’s known as an agricultural area because of the farmworkers that work in the fields. Watsonville has so much cultural history, many that live here have different cultures, backgrounds which is really amazing because they all have a story to tell. Being a public artist is really inspiring since with my art I can tell my stories about my culture but also be able to bring awareness to problems around our community. I’m really grateful for being given this opportunity to showcase my art as well as my culture. Thank you Watsonville Brillante and Kathleen for allowing me to be part of this project.
I also just wanted to explain my design, the bird you see is a toucan, it’s supposed to be an alebrije which are typically handmade pieces of fantastical creatures combined with familiar animals and the background design is an Aztec pattern.
Sponsorship Available
Current and Former residents of Watsonville that share this cultural heritage:
- Blas
- Chavez
- Cruz-Santos
- Espinoza
- Gonzalez
- Lazaro
- Martinez
- Mendoza
- Peralta
- Perez
- Ramos
- Rivera
- Rodriguez
- Zurita
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