The subtle scent of paint fills the air in Cain Hall. A sharp beeping noise breaks the upbeat instrumental music. With each stroke of the brush, the cream-colored walls are given a new life.
Perched upon scaffolding, Edwin Martinez finishes the final details of a Latina graduate. He takes a step back to admire his work, he gives a wide smile.
“That looks just like my sister,” he said.
In fact, the grad in the painting is his sister, Brenda. It was a surprise to honor her. When he facetimed her, she burst into tears.
In addition to the grad, the mural depicts wildlife, a vocho, and the Maldonado brothers – early miners in Virginia City.
“I think the current inspiration is nature, wisdom, representation of past generations of Latinos that the history books have not been kind to them, and it's time for us to bring that to life,” Martinez said.
Dr. Jafeth Salido-Sanchez, director of the Latino Research Center, has been planning this project for almost three years. Her goal is to represent Latin America. Dr. Sanchez knew she wanted Martinez the moment she saw his Instagram.
“Edwin, he represented all of those pieces, having the ability to show the vibrancy of our Latino community and then also understanding all those other parts together,” she said.
The mural depicts an old woman, wrinkles caressing her face, who represents Mother Earth. Vivid oranges and pinks fill the sky as birds and butterflies lead the viewer's eyes to the next detail.
Martinez makes sure to represent all of Latin America. He keeps notes of the national birds from each country. Checking his list to ensure they’re all there.
“I think it just enhances the reality of colors in nature,” he said. “I love being outdoorsy, and I'm using sunglasses all the time, but when I take them off, it's fluorescent to me.”
Born in Mexico City, he came to Reno at the age of 9 with his family. His first mural was of a grizzly bear for Galena High, which he painted on a piece of plywood. Painting has always been part of his life.
“It's in my blood. It's in my DNA. I think art chose me. I didn't choose it,” Martinez said.
He traces his love for the arts to his mother — who took him and his sisters to every art event she could.
“The creativity comes from my mom, [she’s] hands-on, creative, just [a] beautiful mind. And she's always pushed in our education to go to plays, theater, music, just the arts,” Martinez said.
In 2019, Martinez helped Eric Burk finish his Reno Rodeo mural. After that, Martinez picked up his paintbrush full-time. Even though his mom encouraged his love of art, she wasn’t thrilled about him becoming a professional artist. That was until she saw his work. Now, she’s his number-one fan.
“Turning it into a profession, because I went from doing it as a hobby to, I mean, I am getting calls and emails constantly, and, like I said, it's a blessing. I wouldn't have it any other way,” he said.
Martinez said, it’s not about the money, it’s about the connection. His deep passion for the arts led him to love his community.
The mural at UNR is just the latest in several he’s created for the city and local businesses. These include Bliss Holistic Center, which opened in January. Tatiana Etxeberri, owner of Bliss, said it was a no-brainer to choose Martinez.
“A friend of mine who owns Maharaja Royal Bites reached out to me and he says, ‘You should really get in touch with Edwin because he's done amazing work at my restaurant,’ and when I went and saw it in person, I just I knew right away that he was going to be a great fit for the theme,” Etxeberri said.
After completing the mural, Martinez brought his family to meet Etxeberri and see his work.
“You could just see that he has so much love for his community, so much love for his family, and so much passion for his work,” she said.
Martinez said, it’s an honor to have the opportunity to paint a mural for the Latino Research Center.
“Honestly, this piece, I mean, it's been brewing, it's been boiling down for a while. And I think that this is my baby. This is my most precious piece so far,” he said.
The Center plans to do an unveiling party the first week of April. Until then, Martinez will continue to pour his heart into the project.
