Eastie Rising: for muralist Felipe Ortiz, street art is a way to bridge differences and build community
(photos courtesy of Ortiz)
Felipe Ortiz, a classically trained artist and street muralist, finds inspiration when painting on the street, particularly in his own neighborhood, East Boston. A vibrant and diverse neighborhood, he says meeting passersby while painting in Eastie is a wonderful part of the job.
“Seeing the people’s reactions,” he says, “those moments motivate me to keep going.”
In places where different groups coexist, street murals often represent belonging. In East Boston, the visual storytelling usually raises the visibility of its immigrant communities. Through these visual narratives, Ortiz says he finds connectivity in his artistic practice, where he shares his unique culture and creates conversation with both neighborhood neighbors and newcomers like himself.
Ortiz moved to the United States from Colombia at the age of 15, and recalls being shocked by the culture change and language barrier at first. It was art that eventually brought him to Boston. He graduated from Massachusetts College of Art and Design with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting in 2009. After exploring a few other neighborhoods, he settled in East Boston in 2022 and says he loves the warm sense of community he’s found.
He is known for tapping into his nostalgia for his homeland to build cultural bridges and explore his art. Eastie Rising — a collaborative project he and his company, F.O.R.A., LLC, were deeply involved in last summer — was a series of temporary public art installations throughout East Boston, centered around murals. F.O.R.A., LLC collaborated with the East Boston CommunityDevelopment Corporation (EBDCD) and the local community groups Zumix, Harbor Arts and the Friends of the Mary Ellen Welch Greenway on the project.
Read our interview to learn more about Ortiz, his murals and his approach to working with the community.
When did you first discover visual arts?
The first conscious moment where I realized I could probably develop a skill was around 12 or maybe 13 years old. I used to study a lot of observational drawing and perspective, two-point perspective and architectural drawing, which interested me a lot. It was something that always drew my attention. I think those were the first early moments when I realized that it sort of came naturally to me.
Describe what your day-to-day life as a muralist is?
It usually consists of trying to maintain a lot of projects and ideas, and developing things such as collaborations and meetings. I do a lot of outdoor activities, like boating, for example. I always have a little bit of creative moments throughout the day, just to make sure that my hand and mind stay active. My regular practice is to stay sane.
Tell us about a turning point you experienced?
When I decided to study art, exploring the medium, making connections and networking at school was a part of the exploration that sets you up. Creating community, not only on the business side. Finding a voice, finding a place within the sort of ecosystem of artists and galleries.
Turning from fine art to public art — or exploring public art a lot more in the form of murals — is another turning point, for me, in my career. Being able to explore that medium and that size, in very different audiences and settings, I think it has given me a lot of freedom to be able to continue to explore, to be able to reach a platform. None of this happens overnight. It’s all a trajectory of 15-plus years. Creatively, I feel very comfortable now.
After migrating to the United States from Colombia, how did it affect your art?
Of course, well, it was an early age. I was 15. It mainly changed in the way that I expressed it and the way that I identified through it. Those years are formative years, just being a teenager and having the cultural changes and the language barriers, and everything being a little bit shocking at first.
It’s a process of adaptation that takes a little bit, but afterwards, I find my art to be a bridge for a lot of my memories and longings, and the sort of nostalgic feel that I get from being away from my homeland. It’s been very healing to explore this way. There are sometimes many reasons and inspirations, sometimes thematic. But after all that … the afterthought … for me, it’s really just a bridge to connect and be able to stay close to my roots and feelings about them. Is such a free medium.
Do you believe connection is the foundation of resilience in art?
It is definitely part of it. There are many ways to connect. For example, the settings where I mostly paint, which is here in Boston, East Boston in particular, where there is a melting pot. There’s an immigrant community from all over the place. For me to be able to paint publicly and connect with this community — with my viewers and the people that are here every day looking at my artwork — I truly find it humbling and very impactful.
That people can resonate with, regardless of where they’re from. It’s a connection that goes deeper than culture. It goes deeper than nationality. I think people feel identified with that, and truly enjoy being represented, a feeling in their neighborhood.
That has created a very beautiful connection a lot of community here. It’s probably proof of resilience, of like, how we stay connected, how we look for the things that are familiar. Even if they’re not, they spark conversation and make you think. That keeps a kind of interesting and dynamic neighborhood.
How does your commitment towards the art scene continue to evolve?
As part of being active in the practice, both regionally and nationally — and even internationally. Just seeing how all the other projects are offering new creative ways to approach art and public art, and seeing it grow. You can see the sort of impact and the benefits of that effort. To be able to help to cultivate some of the new generations, for example, or even create more opportunities that are suitable for our community of artists.
Your Eastie Rising series took place last summer and celebrated Latine heritage. What inspired this initiative?
Eastie Rising is a beautiful project … a series of public art installations throughout East Boston around murals and muralists. The idea came about just wanting to have a space that welcomes our community. I feel like there’s not necessarily a place where people can practice large-scale painting, the new wave of muralists that didn’t necessarily have the experience.
Over the years, we see that Boston accepts murals now as a form of public art. There’s a lot more demand for it in recent years. Getting people together that are doing the same thing and sharing techniques and ideas, along with painting, creates a space where you can practice by creating community.
What does community mean to you in these current times?
For me, it’s our salvation, almost like our haven. It is basically a place where we can feel safe and think, and where we can trust people.
That’s probably the biggest thing that I’ve experienced here, at least in East Boston, which is the place where I’ve stayed the longest. The more we can create an environment where we all feel like that, the better it will be for everybody.
Are you currently working on anything that you would like to share?
I would like to bring a very cool, interesting project to Boston. I am currently working with the Piers Park Sailing Center to collaborate on a project where hopefully we can illustrate the sails of their fleet, and in 2027, be able to have them out on the harbor with multiple sails illustrated by different artists. Other than that, I’ll keep painting murals, doing exhibits and things like that.
Do you have a favorite mural you’ve done?
There’s one mural that I’m particularly proud of, Quetzal. It’s on South Huntington, around Mission Hill — the Back of the Hill near the Jamaica Plain VA Medical Center. Get yourself over there. It was a very pivotal project for me, because it was done from scratch.
Is the neighborhood audience changing?
I’ve lived in Boston for a little while now, and I’ve definitely seen the change. I visited East Boston many years ago, but I’ve been part of the change.
I suppose I’m a newcomer, but one of the things that I’ve noticed in East Boston is that it’s almost one of the last neighborhoods to be gentrified. For that particular reason, I feel like a lot of our representatives here are keeping that in mind … at least give opportunities here for the people that have been around. The opportunity to stay, the change can only get better.
It’s been like an explosion of art in the last five years. I feel like a lot of people are now used to it. I see a lot of initiative from a lot of youth groups to do their own thing, even if it’s not formal, even if it’s not also formally funded, which I think it just happens organically.
That’s what excites me the most — to see some of that new blood. To be able to promote and help groups in East Boston is tremendous. I’m very excited for the future. Change is inevitable, so we can only hope that we guide it in a way where it’s beneficial for all. It brings a lot of people from outside of East Boston. We’re becoming an arts district, which is very exciting. Over the next five years, I think the changes are only going to be for the better, arts-wise.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
– Story by Chabelli “Latina Bohemian” Hernandez
– Copy edited by Kami Waller
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Felipe’s work is beautiful and inspiring. He and fellow muralist, Sophie Tuttle are in an exhibit through April 11 showcasing their smaller works at the ClipArt Gallery in East Boston. Free closing reception on Saturday, April 11 from 6-9pm.