Alejandro Medina is a local Chicago artist that specializes in murals around the ethnic communities of Chicago. His art work is a way to beautify many communities like the Pilsen neighborhood on the southwest side. Medina says that his artwork is way to decrease the vandalism in the neighborhood. He says that none of his artwork in the Pilsen neighborhood has been vandalized. "There needs to be positive changes in this community," Medina says. Vandalism is just one of the many issues the Pilsen neighborhood deals with on a day to day base.
Alejandro is local artist that has been painting murals and portraits for two years now. He is a resident of the Pilsen community and has been living there for 11 years. Medina says that his artwork is way to stop some of the violence in the community. All the gangs have agreed not to vandalize any of the artwork in the neighborhood. Long time resident Annette De La Torre, says "Well from what I have seen, as soon as the murals go up and they're like fresh no loitering or gangs hang around them. But as time passes they start to loiter around again," She goes on to say that she has never seen any graffiti on the murals and thinks that the gang members don't vandalize the murals because in a way it is disrespecting themselves and their culture. "I think the murals keep the community in tune with their culture. When I was little my sister and I would relate to a mural that's on Ashland of a family making tamales, I would look at the picture and say to myself, oh look they're just like us," De La Torre says. She says that when she was younger she would use the murals as a meeting place with her friends. She agrees with Medina and says that the murals can help stop the violence, but thinks that more religious murals would slow down the crime even more than the murals that are up now.
Maribel Martinez, whose family owns Carniceria Rancho Alegre, says there have been fights and shootings right outside her store by Harrison Park. Her family hired Alejandro Medina to paint a mural of Spanish artist and dancers along the wall that faces Harrison Park. Annette De La Torre says that this park is known for crime but doesn't believe that it will get vandalized or that it will stop crime from happening in or around the store. "Five years ago it was worse," says Martinez. The gangs and violence is going to be hard to overcome. As Maribel puts it, "No one's going to stop them."
Alejandro is local artist that has been painting murals and portraits for two years now. He is a resident of the Pilsen community and has been living there for 11 years. Medina says that his artwork is way to stop some of the violence in the community. All the gangs have agreed not to vandalize any of the artwork in the neighborhood. Long time resident Annette De La Torre, says "Well from what I have seen, as soon as the murals go up and they're like fresh no loitering or gangs hang around them. But as time passes they start to loiter around again," She goes on to say that she has never seen any graffiti on the murals and thinks that the gang members don't vandalize the murals because in a way it is disrespecting themselves and their culture. "I think the murals keep the community in tune with their culture. When I was little my sister and I would relate to a mural that's on Ashland of a family making tamales, I would look at the picture and say to myself, oh look they're just like us," De La Torre says. She says that when she was younger she would use the murals as a meeting place with her friends. She agrees with Medina and says that the murals can help stop the violence, but thinks that more religious murals would slow down the crime even more than the murals that are up now.
Maribel Martinez, whose family owns Carniceria Rancho Alegre, says there have been fights and shootings right outside her store by Harrison Park. Her family hired Alejandro Medina to paint a mural of Spanish artist and dancers along the wall that faces Harrison Park. Annette De La Torre says that this park is known for crime but doesn't believe that it will get vandalized or that it will stop crime from happening in or around the store. "Five years ago it was worse," says Martinez. The gangs and violence is going to be hard to overcome. As Maribel puts it, "No one's going to stop them."
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