The Murals of The Mezquitán Cemetery Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico (English and Spanish Edition)

In 2001 the exterior walls of Guadalajara's Mezquitán Cemetery where enhanced with a large mural. In an agreement between the University of Guadalajara (U d G) and the City of Guadalajara some 100 visual arts students were invited to paint 2500 square meters of space to create a huge mural. This book recreates that mural which unfortunately has fallen on bad times. The painting is inspired, in part, by a folk tale about a race to the cemetery by two families for the privilege of having a family member buried there and claiming the prize of the first burial plot free of charge. The race was between a rich and a poor family. The poor family having only the sweat of their brow lost as the rich family had access to a carriage. But this is only the starting point as the mural was truly a community project involving financial support from the government, numerous student painters and many suggestions from the community concerning thematic input, from furtive loves to a car accident. I hope the recreation of these images encourages the continued practice of the mural art form and encourages the viewer and reader to search out original murals for viewing.