“Hecho a Mano” artwork installed at Mariachi Plaza Station. Photo by Elon Schoenholz, courtesy of artist Sonia Romero.

A new iconic mural located on the concourse level of Metro’s Mariachi Plaza Station was recently installed. Artist Sonia Romero painted the mural, “Hecho a Mano,” on 700 square feet of aluminum panels in her studio. The painted aluminum panels — 150 pounds each — were installed over several weeks. 

Carefully orchestrated coordination using four scissor lifts was needed to lift each of the heavy sections to securely mount them to the wall.

Cornerstones of community struggle and resilience are told through objects shared by community members. They were photographed at interactive workshops held with the Boyle Heights Farmers Market and Self Help Graphics & Art. Romero translated photos of hands holding objects — taken by long-time collaborator Rafael Cardenas — into line drawings she then used to create delicate paper-cut pieces.

Learn more about the artwork in this previous Source post and by visiting our website. 

To celebrate Romero and her largest public art commission, Self Help Graphics & Art and Metro co-presented “Artist Lab: In the Studio with Artists Sonia Romero and Wayne Perry,” an online conversation about the artist’s process working on the mural during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Watch the conversation here. 

To learn more about Metro Art and sign up to receive information on future Artist Opportunities, visit metro.net/art.