DALLAS — The Deep Ellum neighborhood in Dallas has gained a lot of recognition throughout the years as a major site for the mural and street art movement. 

Deep Ellum has now become one of the city’s biggest tourist attractions, with many people sharing their favorite art on social media.

With all the transitions, the growing city is going through, local artists are making sure people who are new to the city can appreciate its roots.

As a child, Alfredo Piña grew up in a north Dallas neighborhood, but took every opportunity to visit Deep Ellum to admire the raw art and culture. 

“I love this neighborhood. I always have,” said Piña.

He is the son of immigrants, and said that’s one of the reasons he started dreaming about achieving more in life. 

“We really didn’t have that much when I was a kid, but that turned out to be a benefit, you know? I learned the value of a lot of different things,” he said.

One of the things he learned to value most was art, as well as places like his beloved Deep Ellum where art was always accessible. 

“Having a lot of time on my hands without a bunch of extra video games or what not is kind of how I found art,” he said.

Despite his humble beginnings, Piña eventually moved to the East Coast to attend New York University. 

“It was seein’ the graffiti, seeing the murals in Dallas drew me to a whole other universe, a whole other world that was out there and that fascination is actually why I decided to apply myself to work a little harder… and that’s eventually what I did. I knew that my way out was through studying art,” he said.

After a few years, he made his way back to Deep Ellum, and now makes his mark in the neighborhood where he always felt he belonged.

His goal now is to make a positive impact and help keep Deep Ellum alive in Dallas.

“I think people are starting to realize how great it is. It’s kind of a hidden gem, but with that transition I think it's key that we don’t lose sight of why it’s different or why it’s special,” shared Piña. 

He is one of several Dallas artists collaborating in the Deep Ellum Blues Alley Project organized by the Deep Ellum Foundation in partnership with renowned neighborhood artists, Dan and Cathryn Colcer. 

The purpose of the project is to preserve the neighborhood’s history and support homegrown artists.

“To make sure that our local artists who are looking for a platform to kind of express themselves and get their name out there,” said Micah Bires of the Deep Ellum Foundation. 

Collaborating with the Colcers is something that excites Piña because as a local, he's admired their work for a long time. 

“This is all a vision of Dan Colcer, who is an artist that I really admire and I’ve been seeing his work for several years…. Now I’m actually able to collaborate, [to] do this project with him, you know, I think that’s pretty special. Because I know that there is a lot of people here who are talented and I’ve admired for a long time,” he said. 

According to Bires, it is artists like Piña who keep the project true to Deep Ellum’s essence.

“There’s this really cool parallel between what the blues artists did for Deep Ellum in the 1920s and what the mural artists are doing for Deep Ellum now. So to kinda tie those two together in this project, it just made sense,” said Bires.

One of the main reasons is that they know what shaped the ground they walk on. 

"I think it’s important that people start to understand Deep Ellum more than just food and drinks. There’s a lot of history here. This was actually a neighborhood that was founded by free slaves,” said Piña.

Artists with deep roots in Deep Ellum also know how the area continued to gain its rich identity. 

“There’s a lot of talent that has come from here. There’s a lot of influence that reaches to an international level, which is why I’ve got T-Bone Walker on this side who was really the first electric guitar blues player who ever played behind his back or played with his mouth. You know that credit goes to Jimmy Hendrix, and I love Jimmy Hendrix, but it’s cool to know that person is from Dallas and all those people have a history here and have played here,” says the muralist. 

Those who have a calling give back to the community as they create and paint about the neighborhood’s past.

“It’s cool to just be able to contribute back in the same way that I think gave me that sense of wonder when I was a kid,” said Piña.

More information on the Deep Ellum Foundation and the Deep Ellum Blues Alley project can be found here.