The Brightside: Local artist paints new vibrant mural in Cambridge

A colorful piece of art depicting rich Puerto Rican culture

CAMBRIDGE, Md.- In Dorchester county, there’s a new mural in town.

A colorful, cultural depiction of artist Miriam Moran’s Puerto Rican heritage is her latest piece.  The mural was birthed from trials and tribulation of the past, and serves as a testimony to the way art has healed her.

“I went through a lot and art is healing to me,” said Moran.

A quick glance of the mural you’ll see farmers and flags and smiling figures. But Moran wants spectators to look beyond the clear depictions, and see themselves in the painting.

“I believe it’s a way of opening the doors to the stories that’s not being told,” said Moran. “Art is creativity, creativity brings people, these are the peoples’ stories, and art is the definition of that. That’s the purpose behind art.”

And at the center of the mural, Moran painted a smiling portrait of the late Gloria Rojas, a journalist from New York City who helped  pave the way for women in news, and has deep roots in the Cambridge community.

While Rojas used a microphone to tell stories, Moran uses a paintbrush to tell hers.

“I met with Gloria in 2015. She’s definitely the inspiration behind this, behind the stories, the untold stories, just being who she is, as you know, a lot of women know she’s a trail blazer,” said Moran.

But she said she wasn‘t the only one holding a brush. Other eager community members got their hands dirty and left their mark on this new piece of Cambridge history.

“I painted by myself when it came to certain parts of the mural, but we did have the kids of the community be a part of this, painting the flags, representing their culture, it was wonderful just to see them participating in this,” said Moran.

While this isn’t her first mural, and it certainly won’t be her last, it’s one of the more special pieces to Moran and she hopes that every time someone walks past this vibrant mural it heals a part of them,

“Helping the community heal, the youth community, making sure we just continue the same mission,” said Moran