Plaza gets new face, residents get new space

• Cristobal Martinez
• October 30, 2009

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Streetlights shined on the benches and browning trees lining Little Village’s Manuel Perez, Jr. Memorial Plaza in early October – a space made a little brighter with the unveiling of two murals and a mosaic created by students as part of Enlace Chicago’s Community Schools Program.

The artwork at 26^th and Kolin, which includes depictions of Latin American heroes such as Cesar Chavez, recently appointed Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and war hero Manuel Perez, Jr. is a significant shot in the arm for the plaza, the only public space along Little Village’s busy 26^th Street.

Other depictions include Our Lady of Guadalupe and a priest, and images of families hugging -- all signifying family, faith, and the neighborhood’s proud Latino culture.

For years, the plaza had been a magnet for homeless people, drug dealers and gangbangers who discouraged residents from enjoying the space. Ditto for the neighborhood’s other public spaces, including Piotrowski and Douglas parks.

Enlace Chicago, NCP lead agency in Little Village, finally said: “Enough!” Instead of tolerating a community eyesore, said Christina Bronsing, NCP’s interim program director, Enlace decided to transform it into a community resource.

“We targeted the plaza as one of our early action projects,” said Bronsing. “We felt the area needed to be more inviting. Our hope is that everyone uses the open space for good and not for what it has been known for in the past.” (To see an album of photos of the mural, the plaza and the unveiling ceremony taken by Bronsing, please click here.)

The plaza is named for Private First Class Manuel Perez Jr., who fought for the 511^th Parachute Infantry during World War II and received the Congressional Medal of Honor for defeating 18 Japanese enemies during an engagement in the Philippines. A unique mosaic covers the base of the stage where the memorial to Perez is located.

Consisting of small, vibrantly colored tiles, positive messages – “Inspiration, Wisdom, Familia, Esperanza” in both English and Spanish – are laid out on rectangular concrete slabs. The phrase, “Si Se Puede” stands out even as the sky becomes dark.

To create the murals and mosaics, Enlace Chicago enlisted students from Little Village Lawndale High School. Each student completed a formal application, and those who were chosen received a stipend for their work.

“We wanted the students to treat the art project like a real job,” says Paulina Camacho, resource coordinator for Enlace Chicago at the high school. “Having them fill out an application and going through an interview process will certainly sharpen their life skills.”

When the idea of adding art to the plaza came up, some American Legion Post veterans grumbled. They were concerned that the memorial’s significance might be overshadowed.

Lead artists Pablo Serrano and Rahmaan “Statik” Barnes were sympathetic to the veterans’ concerns. So, with the students, they reached out to the community for advice. Many residents voiced concern for keeping the plaza safe and clean, but also suggested adding some type of art to the space for beautification.

“Surveying the neighborhood was key to what this art project was going to look like.” said Barnes. “We received suggestions from local businesses, nearby residents, veterans and even the students involved; essentially they designed the mural and we created what they wanted!”

The students added to their art skills while boosting civic pride. “The mural was fairly easy to create because I love to paint, but I had no clue that we could create art with cement,” said Reyna Mijangos, a senior at Little Village Lawndale High School. “I think the stage stands out a bit more than it used to now that we added some creativity to the plaza.”

The project took an entire summer to complete, but the goal of creating a more inviting place for families and visitors could be seen even before the unveiling.

“When the students would arrive to set up their workstations, we always started by cleaning up all sorts of garbage around the plaza.” says Camacho. “But as the project progressed, we began seeing less garbage and broken glass on the ground. All of that was replaced with families playing with their children and residents asking questions about our work as they passed by.”

Creating more enjoyable areas for Little Village residents will ultimately give them safer recreational options, said Enlace’s Christina Bronsing. “On any given summer day, you'll find people in vacant lots and alleys playing soccer, football, softball, opening pumps and swimming in the street.” At 26^th and Kolin they now have a more pleasant place to gather.

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