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San Antonio resident Theresa Powers poses for a photo with volunteers who helped her restore her mural \u201cLa\u00a0Quincea\u00f1era.\u201d Powers painted the mural 30 years ago in Los Angeles, and it has become a symbol of pride in the Echo Park neighborhood.<\/p>\n
Theresa Powers\/Photo courtesy of Theresa Powers<\/p>\n
San Antonio resident Theresa Powers works on restoring her mural \u201cLa Quincea\u00f1era.\u201d Powers painted the mural 30 years ago in Los Angeles, and it has become a symbol of pride in the Echo Park neighborhood.<\/p>\n
Theresa Powers\/Photo courtesy of Theresa Powers<\/p>\n
Carolina Flores Peterson was the model for Theresa Powers’ mural \u201cLa\u00a0Quincea\u00f1era.\u201d Peterson was on hand last month when Powers returned to restore the painting.<\/p>\n
Theresa Powers\/Photo courtesy of Theresa Powers<\/p>\n
San Antonio resident Theresa Powers works on restoring her mural \u201cLa Quincea\u00f1era.\u201d Powers painted the mural 30 years ago in Los Angeles, and it has become a symbol of pride in the Echo Park neighborhood.<\/p>\n
Theresa Powers\/Photo courtesy of Theresa Powers<\/p>\n
Volunteers help San Antonio resident Theresa Powers restore her mural \u201cLa Quincea\u00f1era.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Theresa Powers\/Photo courtesy of Theresa Powers<\/p>\n
Last month, San Antonio artist Theresa Powers traveled 1,300 miles to restore a bit of Los Angeles history that she’d help create.<\/p>\n
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Back in 1996, \u00a0Powers had been asked to paint a 30-foot by 24-foot mural on the wall of an Echo Park restaurant building.<\/p>\n
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A 22-year veteran of the Air Force, Vincent T. Davis embarked on a second career as a journalist and found his calling. Observing and listening across San Antonio, he finds intriguing tales to tell about everyday people. He shares his stories with Express-News subscribers every Monday morning.<\/p>\n
She chose a cultural event that would resonate with the area’s\u00a0residents: The quincea\u00f1era, the coming-of-age event that celebrates a girl’s 15th birthday in Latino culture.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Titled \u201cLa Quincea\u00f1era,\u201d the painting features a patio-table-sized pink rose and 15-year-old Carolina Flores, swathed in her quincea\u00f1era finery, long black hair flowing over ruffled sleeves and a pink, floor-length gown. \u00a0In the background, her mother and uncle pray in the aisle of a church.<\/p>\n
In the years since, Powers’ mural has become a symbol of Latino culture and pride in the Los Angeles neighborhood, a touchstone for the thousands of pedestrians and drivers who passed by it every week.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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The mural has survived the years, but not in perfect condition. So on June 29, Powers was back in Echo Park to give it a needed touch-up.<\/p>\n
She and her husband, Don Williams, arrived early that morning in their rental car, carrying a suitcase packed with acrylic paint. By the time volunteers showed up Powers had set up a command center with a small tarp, paint and brushes on the sidewalk. They used photocopies of the original to restore her mural that celebrates a young girl\u2019s coming of age.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey care deeply about the art,” said Powers, 57, “and keeping the roots of the city and the neighborhood intact.\u201d<\/p>\n