Last year, the NMFMA initiated a creative, community-based project to showcase New Mexico’s local food system through a mural project in Barelas, Albuquerque at the Rail Yards Market. The lead artist, Jade Cruz, is a New Mexico native with an artistic practice that centers painting and murals as a form of collective storytelling and healing.
With ten years of experience painting, teaching, and guiding local communities through collaborative murals and art-making, Jade has presented a mural that is rooted in both New Mexico and Barelas food and culture traditions.
The mural titled, “Corazon de Chile”, celebrates the profound relationship New Mexicans have with chile, both red and green, as a symbol of identity, culture, connection, tradition, and belonging. It is broken into three main sections: the left side honoring red chile and the right side honoring green. Both sides feature scenes that showcase cooking, growing, and sharing the two chiles.
Jade Cruz stands in front of the mural in progress in downtown Albuquerque.
The red and green come together in the middle with two hands reaching toward each other to exchange a flower. This imagery embodies the spirit of unity and community exchange, echoing the transactions at the Rail Yards market. The center of the mural honors Barelas and its place as the heart of Albuquerque with a sacred heart anchoring the mural.
This past March, a community paint day was organized to include neighborhood participation and collaboration on the mural. More than 30 people attended and helped paint the mural. Food and drink were provided by the NMFMA, music was provided by Jade, and participants enjoyed a morning of painting, food, and dancing.
The mural is close to complete and the NMFMA will share final images and a full mural reveal once it’s finished. Special thanks to the City of Albuquerque’s Public Art Department and the Rail Yards Market for their partnership on the project and community paint day.
For more of Jade Cruz’s work, follow the artist on Instagram: @jadexbone
The Rail Yards Market is open Sundays, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. through October. However, you can view the mural any day by heading down 2nd Street in Barelas along the Rail Yards.
