TEGUCIGALPA – The U.S. Embassy hosted acclaimed muralist and State Department Cultural Envoy, Michelle Ortiz, for a week-long community mural project. Ortiz, through a grant given by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, worked with members of the Colonia 21 de Febrero neighborhood in Tegucigalpa to create a mural that highlights issues affecting the community. The mural, entitled “Painting a New Colony 21 February,” addresses security, youth empowerment and climate change. The project was made possible through collaborations with Alianza Joven Honduras, which ensured Ortiz’s reception into the community.
A native of Philadelphia, Ortiz was raised by a Mexican father and a Puerto Rican mother. She has traveled to several countries in Latin America sharing her expertise in mural art work. Ortiz will return to Honduras in April to start a second community mural program with residents of the Colonia Estados Unidos neighborhood.
