Urban artists ‘move and give color’ to the San Rafael

Published March 12th, 2022

Good things are happening in San Rafael, one of them is that they are filling its corners and streets with color, there are countless murals everywhere, and it is that for a year, a group of local artists set the goal of making this neighborhood, the most colorful in the city, a work of artists one hundred percent (100%) local.

“I love my neighborhood” is the name of this mural project that emerged in February 2021, in the San Rafael neighborhood, as a way to contribute to the rescue of the neighborhood, which over the years has been identified as one of the most unsafe in the city, and it is through this art that the group of artists, all of them from San Miguel, seek to change the history of the neighborhood, even inviting children from there to participate, to be introduced to this art and to see it as a way of earning a living as well.

“The project consists of rehabilitating spaces in San Miguel de Allende, proposing a new work option in the neighborhoods, since we are trying to promote art and culture a little more in the neighborhoods, right? Our only objective is to promote graffiti and urban art, for children, young people and even adults who want to support, anyone can join”, says Alejandro Cortés, also known as “Boomzer”, a well known local painter and who together with his partner, the painter “Tres Monos”, are the main organizers, but there are many others who are part of the group and who collaborate.

“We try to make the murals something that they can identify with, that… this sense of belonging to a neighborhood and that they can learn that there are many more alternatives within the neighborhood and that they can begin to leave aside the tendencies of violence, gangs, gangs, and not promote this in the new generations,” added the artist.

“I love my neighborhood arises from the need to bring a little more graffiti art or urban art to the neighborhoods that are not usually taken into account because they were considered… Well, sometimes they have the stigma, don’t they? that it is a dangerous neighborhood, that you can’t walk through, so we tried to give life to San Rafa, because it is an important point where people didn’t even want to circulate, now with these new murals that we have done, people say that it is safer, a great community has been identified by the neighbors, their children or anyone who is from San Rafa, now they have this voice to say that in their neighborhood they are also doing good things, right? that not everything is the bad things that are sometimes reflected in the news, now it is people who have nothing to do with the sense of community in the neighborhood, right?

They began independently and little by little the neighbors began to approach them and began to support them with tips, food, water, and even material so that they could continue painting, for this simple objective of promoting art and leaving a seed. Little by little the neighbors saw that they could also have a safe way to teach something new to their children. Alejandro is an art student, so he promotes there to anyone who wants to have some knowledge of painting, watercolor, drawing, or photography, to share with them what he has learned in his career.

There are about 10 artists who are dedicated to the work, some go occasionally, they do not have time because they work, they also have the part of the management, for a company as well, they also have the part of photography, of the audiovisual. It is a whole set of teamwork, they need to wait for the resources, manage the material well, think about what is going to be painted or not, what messages they can give. They currently have a pending collaboration with the IMAJSMA.

• Alejandro Cortés (boomzer)
• Rufino Balderas rojas (Taz)
• Anael Olvera (management)
• Gabriel Morin (gabo mv)
• Alonso Yañez (asfi)
• Mariana Cortes (madheys)
• Marco Antonio Méndez (ders)
• Cristian Jaramillo
• Omar Moreno (queso uno)
• Jazmín Sánchez (bowjazz)
• Audiovisuals
• Edgar León
• Carlos Limón
• Collaborations with Felix and Merle.

All of them make up the enriched art team, they are artists one hundred percent from San Miguel de Allende, who is sharing with the world, “this is what San Miguel de Allende has to offer. They are young people from different neighborhoods; there are some from San Rafael, Santa Julia, San Luis Rey, Lomita, Olimpo, Pancho Villa, etc.

Some of the streets that are already painted are: San Rafael, Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez, Maria Arevalo, Antonio Villanueva, Vicente lobo, Rafael Acosta, Francisco Yanez, Privada de Juan Aldama, Ignacio Allende, Juan de Umaran and many more in other colonias.

The project has its social networks, look for them in the different networks such as “Yo Amo mi Barrio”. And if you like to support them to continue promoting their art which is through murals, drawing, or photography, contact them, here are the phone numbers of the organizers. ?

• Alejandro Cortés (boomzer) 4421971363
• Rufino Balderas rojas (Taz) 415177 8765
• Anael Olvera (management) 415 101 0122