[paint can rattles] [Georges speaks Spanish] [Georges continues speaking Spanish] - I think the Washington Project, it's extremely important in multiple levels.

This might be, or this should be the first step into this accepting art into the community.

I think it's extremely important to celebrate this because it represents the Latino population.

And like it or not, the Latinos in Beaufort County or North Carolina or the United States, they've been there and they're doing a lot of good work.

There's a lot of hardworking Latinos making a difference into the community, creating amazing things.

[gentle guitar music] [gentle guitar music continues] - The importance of this project is to show the Latino community that they are welcome here in our community.

Also, to teach others about different cultures throughout our community.

We are very excited about this, and it's a great opportunity for the city of Washington to celebrate this mural.

- Growing up here and watching the community when I was a child versus being in my 40s now and watching the community is completely different.

People have come in.

We've embraced who everybody is, we're learning about different cultures in the area, and we're learning to actually ask questions.

And I believe this mural is a big piece of that 'cause when I'm with my family and we ride by that mural, somebody in my car is gonna say, "Hey, talk to me about that.

What does that mean?"

And when you start asking questions is when you start learning.

[gentle guitar music ends] [Anai speaks Spanish] [Anai continues speaking Spanish] [gentle guitar music] - Washington's a unique community with a river.

Our geography is probably one of our number one assets.

So that's kind of a different wrinkle.

Everyone's very welcoming.

Historically, Washington was a port city.

I think there was, you know, a lot of turnover, people coming and going, traveling from all over, and I think that has made it, throughout history, kind of a more welcoming community.

Everybody knows everyone.

Everyone kind of a sense of community, a real strong sense of community here.

Everyone looks after each other.

And then we started looking for funding or ways that we could improve our community outreach as a whole in regards to the community arts and we were able to obtain the funding with the ZSR Foundation to move forward with this mural project.

- The Latino community is a huge part of Beaufort County, and it has been a huge part of Beaufort County for many years.

5th Street is a really, really busy street and to show that the city of Washington wants everyone to recognize the Latino community is super important.

So our role with the project as the Chamber of Commerce was to get community input, from our businesses, from our locals, from our community, from everyone in the community.

We actually went out and said, "What do you like?

What would you like to see?"

And we engaged all the business owners, no matter who they were, to have their input for this project.

[gentle guitar music ends] [paper rustles] - For me, the whole process, I was really aware that this mural had to be inclusive.

And the way I painted it, I tried to bring people in, using colors, patterns, words, to make it as inclusive as possible while still celebrating the Latino community.

[soft music] We did research and we asked community members and they gave us a list of words: family, agriculture, faith, food, music.

So they wanted to see these words in the mural.

[soft percussive music] In the bottom part of the mural, there's water and I'm paying tribute to the ocean because Beaufort County, the culture, the history, it's based on the ocean, the water, the rivers that are coexisting there.

So water is an extremely important part of the Washington area.

I think art is important because it's a reflection of how we feel.

The purpose of art, it has to question.

It has to make you think.

Art has to question.

Art has to change a point of view.

Art has to educate.

And I think that's the definition of art.

It has to question or it has to move the viewer, not only make the viewer feel good.

[soft music] [power lift beeps] [motor rumbles] [paint can rattles] [Georges speaks Spanish] [Georges continues speaking Spanish] [lively percussive music] [Georges continues speaking Spanish] [Georges continues speaking Spanish] [lively percussive music continues] [Georges continues speaking Spanish] These are kids that worked on this and they feel part of the process.

Well, in 25 years, they're gonna be telling their kid, "Hey, that mural, I did that."

[lively percussive music continues] [lively percussive music ends] Okay.

Three, two, uno.

[children shout] [Georges speaks Spanish] [children clap and cheer] I think that's really important that it creates such a strong community.

I think that for me probably was the biggest day of, definitely biggest day of public art that I ever done.

[light music] - I think it's very, very important to highlight the fact that they are a part of this community.

And I think the mural does represent that, but not only that, but the idea that the kids were able to play a part in that.

And then you have various cultures.

I know for our particular school, we incorporated African American, Latino, Arab, Caucasian, just so that we can make sure that there's that sense of diversity because we're all kind of living the life.

[light music continues] [Anai speaks Spanish] [Anai continues speaking Spanish] [Anai continues speaking Spanish] [Anai continues speaking Spanish] [light music continues] - I think it's very frustrating sometimes as a person out in the world to kind of see so many differences when there are so much more similarities than the difference, whether the difference is our skin or the difference is our language.

Like, I think in the heart of us, we all want the same thing.

We want to live life to the fullest, we want to be happy, we want to be healthy, and we want to make sure that our family is okay.

[soft gentle music] - I think one of the biggest messages I would say is that you are welcomed here and that this city is for everyone.

As you drive by the mural and you read the words, perhaps you may not understand all of them, but the biggest one that I see says "Viva la vida," meaning, "Live your life."

I think as immigrants coming to the United States, a lot of us that are living within the city, at first, we felt like we were secluded.

I think with a mural like this that the city has enabled us to be able to be a part of, I think it opens a lot of doors for that integral part, which is building that community such as the Hispanic community.

I think this will allow them to partake more in city functions and feel welcomed and feel part of the city.

[soft gentle music continues] [Georges speaks Spanish] [Georges continues speaking Spanish] [Georges continues speaking Spanish] [Georges continues speaking Spanish] [gentle music] [Raul speaks Spanish] [Raul continues speaking Spanish] [Raul continues speaking Spanish] [soft inspirational music] - For the Latino community, I want this mural to make them proud, you know?

Ultimately, that's what it is.

I want them to see this, that they belong somewhere.

I want them to be proud.

I want them to be happy who they are.

I want them, even if it's for a few seconds, I want their day to be brighter.

That's really important, that I'm trying to give back to the community that have given me so much throughout my life.

[soft inspirational music continues]