First, you see the slogan: “Arriba Mi Gente.” You speak enough Spanish to know that this means “Rise Up, My People.” You realize next that the illustration behind it isn’t actually abstract. Instead, it’s a silhouette of a vast protest, with people waving fists and flags.
You’re driving down the highway, deep in the heart of Austin, Texas, when you suddenly see a huge billboard. First, you see the slogan: “Arriba Mi Gente.” You speak enough Spanish to know that this means “Rise Up, My People.” You realize next that the illustration behind it isn’t actually abstract. Instead, it’s a silhouette of a vast protest, with people waving fists and flags.
Surprise! The product this billboard is selling is revolution. Nancy Guevara, who created the image, grew up in Texas, along Mexican border. Her artwork, she says, reflects her background:
My work is about the border and about the border culture — the culture that’s formed by the people on the border.
You know, it’s a mix of Mexican and then American sides. So my parents are both from Mexico and then I was born on the American side. So that, that’s what my work kind of deals with: the culture that’s formed, and I just want to inform people and empower people about the culture and, you know, tell other Mexican Americans, young Mexican Americans, that it’s okay, it’s okay to be proud of your culture.
It’s okay to speak Spanish because we know this is a very, you know, one language country and so we can still be proud of our roots and still fight for our rights here. So I consider myself an advocate and an artist and a designer also.
[…]
