“The first two panels really represent, I believe, the player,” Vargas said. “And the third panel represents more of the man, as he is looking towards Dodger Stadium and he tips his hat towards Dodger Stadium to say thank you, to say farewell, to say welcome into the neighborhood. That gesture says so much.”
Vargas started painting the mural on the morning of Oct. 22. Valenzuela died later that day. Vargas worked diligently over the next 10 days — sometimes not bothering to eat or sleep — to have the first two panels done by the Nov. 3 unveiling. The third panel was finished a week later.
“It really became a community mural where people were there, hundreds of people were there every single day if you add them all up as I was painting that mural,” Vargas said. “And it became a real source of comfort, a source of discussion, a source of culture, cultural pride.
“So it wasn’t necessarily solely a memorial or just an altar but also a celebration of who we are as a people and what we can achieve if you persevere and apply yourself. It was so much more than just a static image on the wall. And I understood that, which is why I put in the kind of hours that I did.”
Among the frequent visitors to his work site, Vargas said, was Valenzuela’s wife, Linda, and other family members of the Dodgers pitcher. Vargas attended the Nov. 6 public funeral Mass, where he said one of Valenzuela’s sons mentioned the mural during his speech.
“This mural obviously really resonated for them,” Vargas said. “His wife, Linda, told me that Fernando is in that mural, that she sees him 100%. She was very, very kind and the family has been extremely gracious. I’m just humbled to be able to paint that and do right by them.”
