Muralist and graphic designer Daniel “R5” Barojas was awarded a 2020 Individual Artist Grant by the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance and the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs. The project he’s creating is a mural at Daystar Life Center, a nonprofit providing a range of assistance to those in need – and sharing organic produce with south St. Pete residents living in a food desert.

Barojas began the project this week. His mural will feature an interpretation of Pachamama (the Mother Earth of indigenous Andean people). The mural will include an integrated planter for vegetables, herbs and flowers.

Pachamama will capture the spirit of Daystar’s organic community garden, planted in 2019. The garden supports Daystar’s commitment to improve the health outcomes of its neighbors forced to live in a food desert. The garden supplements fresh produce from Daystar’s food pantry and introduces neighbors to new herbs and vegetables they may not have tried before.

You can follow the mural’s progress on Facebook and Instagram.

Daniel Barojas is a skilled visual artist who draws inspiration from indigenous communities and his own Mexican heritage, and experiments with Op Art-style patterns and illusions. He created a mural for SHINE 2017 of the Aztec god of rain and water, Tlaloc – as an ofrenda to keep our city safe from too much rain, or too little.

You can explore Daniel Barojas’ work at r5imaging.com.

You can hear Barojas talk about his work with host Barbara St. Clair on the Creative Pinellas podcast.