Por Que 'Vinimos
Why We Came

Overlooking the Sixth Ward Community Garden, giant hibiscus blooms fill the foreground of this mural.  On the petals of the flowers are written responses to the phrase that became our title of the mural, Por Qué Vinimos, Why We Came.   This is a public art collaboration of students in the Pennsylvania Migrant Education Program and the community of Reading.


Location
135 Buttonwood Street 

Reading, PA 19601


Project completion

2006

Project Support

Sponsors: 

Pennsylvania Migrant Education

Campfire USA

Berks County Conservancy

Reechcraft

Windlock


Student Artists:

Epiphany Acevedo         

Louis Bautista

Luis Beltrán                         

Yokarina Castillo

 Tamara Martin

Giancarlo Silva-Gamarra

Dany Soriano-Castro

Justinelly Vanderhorst

Pedro Vanderhorst

Stacey Vanderhorst


Lead Artist:

Michael L. Miller


Assistant Artists:

Robert Kucharczuk

Irene Routté


Site Coordinators, PA Migrant Education

Sergio Mery

Patricia Vlasak


About the Project

The design for this mural began with a series of photos of the core group of students participating in the mural.   The theme of a garden fit the project well, as the students parents worked in agriculture and the location of the mural was one of the city's community gardens.  The student artists in this project worked diligently in the mural studio and guided community volunteers to help with the project.  Family and friends joined them at the Northeast Branch of the Reading Public Library to hear a bilingual presentation about the project and help paint a portion of the mural.