Here are the remarks by Chairman Carlos Silva at the event:
Thank you Richard, and thank you everyone for being here today on what is truly a monumental day in East Aldine.
We are so honored to have our friends, family, colleagues, residents, stakeholders, and folks from various art organizations across the city here this afternoon to be a witness to the unveiling of a landmark and a sculpture that is much more than just “Art” – it is a towering representation of the pride of the people who have inhabited this place for over 150 years.
This Town Center has transformed our community into a place that few dreamed would ever be possible. The amenities and opportunities available here would be the envy of most neighborhoods. And just as the East Aldine Management District has aimed to continuously improve the lives of our residents for the past 20 years, a young little offshoot sprouted in 2019 – what we affectionately call EAAC around here or the East Aldine Arts Council. The Arts Council aimed to bolster civic pride by advocating for the visual and performing arts all around the District and although we started small we had big aspirations to make a meaningful impact with the projects we brought to bear. We are incredibly proud of what we have done thus far, but tonight marks the culmination of our biggest and most important endeavor to date.
Roundabouts just scream, “Put something on me!!” And the Arts Council knew we wanted to take part in just what that something would be, so we set out for inspiration and in 2022 we took a field trip to True North in the Heights. An amazing project in its own right, we walked the entire boulevard and came upon a piece by the artist Guadalupe Hernandez, entitled “La Pesqueria.” We were immediately struck by the detail and the seemingly delicate nature of papel picado except it was made out of steel! The perfect balance and contrast of color, form, and material. We knew almost immediately that this was the artist we wanted to commission for the roundabout. Lupe’s ability to tell stories with his work seemed the perfect fit for the project we had in mind.
After his first visit to East Aldine we had some tortas and just brainstormed and talked about the possibilities. It was clear to me he instinctively understood what we were hoping to achieve and as such presented us with a stunning three-sided tower that was meant to narrate the story of East Aldine through our past, present, and future. We were sold and he was awarded the commission.
Over the course of many months, Lupe engaged this community via the Arts Council to learn about all facets of the Aldine community. Including the legacy of our history, the fabric of our present day culture, and our collective aspirations for the future of this special place.
What finally came to be and what you will see tonight is a pillar of papel picado dedicated to the Spirit of East Aldine and the people that have settled and lived on this land for generations, all seeking the same thing: prosperity for their families.
The last names of the folks who live here may have changed in the past 100 years but that drive and desire to carve out a little corner of this world for yourself to be industrious and entrepreneurial remains to this day. The ambition to do better and succeed with each passing day is palpable here.
Spirit of East Aldine honors our past while proclaiming our present with pride and also looks forward to our future and our connection to our greenspaces to live in a world of progress and peace. All three of those elements are always seemingly commingling in this District where we live, work, and play.
This landmark represents the beginning of a new era for this community. It has been so awe-inspiring to see the people of East Aldine who have historically been devoid of public art embrace these projects and begin to imagine art here! We tell our story through the language of art not only as a medium for civic pride but also an engine for economic prosperity!
This glorious sculpture will stand for posterity as a monument of our historical and cultural importance not only to ourselves, but to the city of Houston, the region, and the world at large.
One thing that I have quickly come to realize is that art begets art and East Aldine aims to be a place that showcases and pursues opportunities for human expression and individual imagination. We welcome you to our home and we are grateful you are here.
There are several people that must be thanked for without them we would not be here right now. First and foremost, the Artist Guadalupe Hernandez. We were so blessed to see him work his incredible talents firsthand as he took all the themes we wanted to convey and weaved them into an elegant pattern that so magically and beautifully told our story. It was truly spectacular and delicately detailed in every way. I would like to give a massive thank you to the first class team at Metalab who was managing the project alongside Lupe. Especially Joe Meppelink and Armando Arteaga for always keeping us updated and informed and most importantly keeping us on budget!! It should be noted we appreciate that very much!
I would like to give a heartfelt thank you to our Executive Director, Richard Cantu, and his staff. His Deputy Veronica Sanches, our Marketing Manager Monica Campos and the entire team really made sure that we had the resources we needed when we needed them and facilitated our meetings, stepped in with the county when they needed a little nudge on permits, and not to mention making sure the word got out to the community every step of the way. You all were instrumental in making today happen.
Of course, I want to thank the residents and stakeholders of East Aldine who showed such enthusiasm and embraced the whole storytelling spirit of the project from the outset. Without this ambitious and vibrant community we would be unable to do what we do.
A major thank you to all the Arts Council members who had the will and imagination to see what this project could look like even when confronted with doubt or skepticism. The East Aldine Arts Council has really come into its own as an entity poised to bring positive attention and acclaim to this District.
Lastly, and most importantly, our collective gratitude and thanks to the Board of Directors of the East Aldine Management District. If it were not for the vision and the trust and frankly, the leap of faith that they took to fund this project, this whole thing would never have gotten off the ground. The Board of Directors continues to push the envelope for what can be achieved in this community.
Ladies and Gentlemen, once again thank you for being here on this momentous occasion as we celebrate our past, our people, and our place in this world.
Without further ado, I proudly present to you the man of the hour – the brilliant artist, Mr. Guadalupe Hernandez.
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