“Protectors of Red Bluff” is a sixty by eight foot aerosol on concrete mural honoring my great uncles Pete, Raymond and Gilbert Rivera. Who fought to protect this land. Preserving the history of minority communities in east Austin is important and integral to my work. By telling these stories through my practice, I am preserving east Austin’s legacy and insuring that it is never forgotten. It’s important that these stories are shared to educate natives, newcomers, children and adults alike. So that they can better understand the communities they come from and or reside in.  The piece depicts the Rivera brothers with Red Bluff and its majestic tree covered landscape peeking through. The Ganado style design work is a nod to my families indigenous roots. The monarch a metaphor for my families history as migrant workers as they would travel north every year for work and my great-grandmothers favorite mariposa. Their complexions glow with rich tones of reds and browns, colors of the earth,  standing proud and strong on their native land. Where the nopales grow free and flowers smell sweet.