East Side Blends | Tulsa Global District
Tulsa, Oklahoma | February 2024
Approx. 40' wide × 10' to 15' tall
“East Side Blends barbershop is a melting pot of art and culture under one roof.”
This mural was created at East Side Blends, located at an entry point into one of the most diverse communities in Tulsa. Growing up on the east side, I was surrounded by a mix of cultures, especially influences from both Latino and Asian communities. For this piece, I wanted to pay homage to that experience and represent some of the cultural fusion that makes this side of town what it is.
The mural blends elements of Asian and Latin culture into one large composition. At roughly 40 feet wide and reaching between 10 and 15 feet tall, it became much more than a mural on the side of a small business. It became an opportunity to create something that reflected the community surrounding it.
East Side Blends was a fitting home for the piece. The shop itself brings different people and creatives together under one roof. Along with the barbershop, the space has been home to artists and other small businesses, making it a creative hub within the neighborhood.
As the project developed, it also became a much larger community effort with Living Arts of Tulsa and the Tulsa Global District involved. The project was made possible through the Living Arts Creating Together Fund, along with support from the Global District and East Side Blends.
Throughout the process, people stopped by, conversations happened, and different parts of the community became connected to the project. That interaction became part of what the mural represented.
Shout out to Victor and East Side Blends, Sin Miedo Studios, El Terko, J&A Gift Shop, Juan Garcia and his Aztec dancers, the lion dancers, and everyone who stopped by and showed support throughout the project.
For me, this mural was a way to give something back to the side of town that influenced me growing up. It represents different cultures existing together, influencing one another, and contributing to the identity of Tulsa’s east side.
It was a celebration of the community I knew, the community I grew up around, and the people and cultures that continue to shape it.
