South Wenatchee Community Rallies Around Mural Featuring Our Lady of Guadalupe
It replaces the old mural featuring the same image that had been defaced by graffiti
Joana and Salvador Alvarez, the new owners of the Methow Market in South Wenatchee, want to change the reputation of their business. The biggest signal of that is the colorful new mural featuring Our Lady of Guadalupe on the exterior of the building.
It replaces the old mural, which was marred by graffiti a few years ago.
Sara Hasslinger is the artist who is bringing the wall back to life with a floral panorama wrapping around the building and leading the eye to the focal point – an image of the Virgin Mary that holds special meaning for those from Mexico. Hasslinger is best known for her popular mural in downtown Wenatchee, next to the Antique Mall of Wenatchee.
This project is 50 percent funded by a grant called “Murals over Graffiti” which Hasslinger secured with the help of Sarah Rolfs and the Parque Padrinos community group. The other half of the cost was covered by Joana and Salvador, and Joana said the iconic image of the Mother of Jesus has long been beloved in the South Wenatchee community.
“More than 10 people came in after we painted over the last mural to complain and ask ‘What did you do to the Virgin Mary?’” she said.
Alvarez said that’s when she realized how important the image was to folks in the neighborhood. So they talked with Sara and together they came up with a plan to put the image, which is literally venerated at the Basilica in Mexico City, back up on the wall.
When the neighborhood saw she was going back up, this time in Hasslinger’s colorful, vibrant style, folks got into it.
“I keep calling all the people who drive by and honk and are so friendly and great my ‘neigborhood cheerleaders,’” Hasslinger said.
She said every day people come by and take pictures with the new mural, which is not finished yet. She also had groups of folks volunteer to pitch in and help out finishing it this week.
For Joana and Salvador, the mural represents the turning of a corner for their business and they hope it reminds people there is new management at the Methow Market. They took over in 2020, right as the Covid-19 pandemic was hitting the US. The previous owner was 75 and in poor health, so he closed up shop and it looked as if that was that for the Methow Market.
But that’s when the Alvarezs stepped up and made a deal to buy the business and took over. Joana said it’s been a tough few years. The business doesn’t bring in enough for them to hire employees, so the parents of three work in shifts to keep the business afloat while raising a young family.
Joana said the market previously had a reputation for selling alcohol to minors and that’s something she emphatically wants the community to know has not and will not happen under their watch.
“We know the community and the kids who come in. We see these kids from 4 or 5 and watch them grow up until they’re in high school,” she said. “I know most of my customers by name. That’s what they love about the store. It’s right in the middle of the community.”
But it’s hard running a small business, she said, and they can’t do it without the support of the community.
This June will mark three years since the Alvarez’s started running the Methow Market and they’re planning an anniversary and celebration of the new mural on June 10. Joana said she will share details about that event on Facebook soon.
While she spoke, an elderly man came in and complimented the mural in Spanish. She turned and paraphrased what he said.
“He said: ‘The mural is good because it will keep the graffiti guys away,’” she said.
The Methow Market is located at 617 Methow Street in Wenatchee. They’re open from 10 am to 8 pm daily.
Beautiful !
Beautiful 👍❤️