CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Charlotte artist is working with neighbors to bring more murals representative of the Hispanic community to the city.

What You Need To Know

  • Artist Irisol Gonzalez moved to the U.S. from Costa Rica at the age of 10

  • The community had input on location, design and plan

  • There will be three murals completed this summer

Irisol Gonzalez moved to the U.S. from Costa Rica at the age of 10. Her experience as a Latina immigrant with two cultures inspires her work.

“It allows for connection. It allows for community,” Gonzalez said.

Through her fellowship at the League of Creative Interventionists, Gonzalez is creating three community murals in Hispanic neighborhoods.

Neighbors provided input on the location, design and plan for the murals through virtual meetings.

“We need more murals that represent our culture, that talk about us,” Gonzalez said.

The first mural, which honors Hispanic heritage, is at a Compare Foods international grocery store in East Charlotte at 3600 N. Sharon Amity Road.

“Compare is a piece of home. They have all of the food, the household staple items that we use at home, traditionally," Gonzalez said.

Compare Foods Director of Marketing Katharina Bethea is happy the community chose their store.

“We’re honored and humbled to be able to use our stores and the buildings that they are in to show just exactly how beautiful the Hispanic culture is,” Bethea said.

Community members, including Johanna Steinz, volunteered to paint part of the mural.

“Thinking about how colorful the world is and how inclusive it should be, this makes me happy,” Steinz said.

Gonzalez said the turnout of volunteers was higher than expected, allowing her to start her portion of the mural earlier than anticipated.

She’s thrilled to see the community effort in action.

“We’re engaged, we're celebrated, wer'e welcome. And we are doing this together,”  Gonzalez said.

The League of Creative Interventionists is making the mural possible. Gonzalez is working with other groups for the funding of the other two murals that will be completed this summer.

The second mural will focus on immigrants and their effect in the city. The third one will show solidarity toward other immigrants and the new generation.