Mosaic mural unveiled in Uvalde honors shooting victims

UVALDE — "Uvalde Strong" signs still sit in store windows.

Bold, black letters spell out the words on fast food marquee boards.

Memorial crosses still surround a small fountain at the town center, and three colorful murals sit just across the street next to an antique store.

It all brings about a sense of heaviness, but it also displays one of the strongest senses of community one could ever feel. Nowhere was that community spirit more apparent than at Jardin de los Heroes Park on Saturday as residents gathered to celebrate the unveiling of a mosaic mural representing the strength and beauty of Uvalde.

The mural comes from the Uvalde Love Project, which Austin art therapist Wanda Montemayor founded almost a year ago. She worked alongside fellow art therapists from Austin and teachers from Uvalde to create a project in which community members could experience fun and friendship by making tiles for the mural together.

Montemayor and her team also held group therapy sessions for children and parents.

"That personal connection and that feeling of safety is where the healing begins, and it's the collectiveness," Montemayor told the Statesman in March. "It's not that 'I'm alone in these feelings.' It's like 'I'm with you and you and you, and we're on the same feeling together' ... not being alone in your head with these feelings."

More:How the Uvalde Love Project is using art, group therapy for healing after school shooting

At the Saturday unveiling, community members searched for their tiles in the mosaic mural. All the tiles are handmade in custom shapes rather than pre-purchased rectangles. There are flowers, butterflies, bees, leaves and more — and each image on the sprawling 361-inch by 121-inch mural has meaning.

The large tree taking up much of the left side represents how Uvalde is known as the tree city. The two coyotes are a nod to the Uvalde school district mascot; the bees represent the town's reputation as the honey capital of the world; the flowers are blanket flowers, which are native to Uvalde; the water symbolizes the nearby Nueces River; and the 21 glass butterflies are for the victims of the Robb Elementary School shooting on May 24, 2022.

Many of the tiles contain names as well as messages, such as "#endthesilence," "look to the Lord" and "only love." One woman pointed out two small fish tiles she'd made and embellished with her two sons' names.

"Just seeing everyone come and find their tiles has actually been the most magical things for me," Montemayor told the Statesman at the unveiling. "It's like they're actually able to see it come into fruition. And actually, the dedication had so many little moments for me because I was listening to the teachers' perspective, and I hadn't actually gotten that, so that was just so awesome."

Color del dolor:21 Uvalde murals of Robb Elementary victims use paint to heal pain

The dedication included Uvalde Love Project members reading the names of the 21 school shooting victims, followed by a moment of silence. The Rev. Matthew De Leon blessed the mural, asking everyone to reach a hand toward the newly adorned wall in prayer. He sprinkled project members and the mural with holy water, and Sister Dolores Aviles, who helped with the project, gave a short speech that encapsulated the spirit and strength of Uvalde.

"It is all of us resembled in that mosaic that's there that brings out the beauty that is within us, the beauty that is in our community, the beauty that we're called to build here in Uvalde and pass it on to all the people all over the world," Aviles said to the crowd. "It has to go on. We have to pay it forward. We need to congratulate all these people, all of you, your children, for making this dream possible."