En El Barrio: Sueños Mural Makes West Oak Cliff’s Dreams Visible

En El Barrio: Sueños Mural Makes West Oak Cliff’s Dreams Visible

In West Oak Cliff, the Sueños mural is more than a beautiful addition to the block—it is a statement of pride, resilience and belonging. Located on the exterior of J&E Express, 2220 W. Clarendon Drive, the community mural brings the neighborhood’s culture, working-class roots and hopes for the future into full view. oakcliff.advocatemag

The vision for Sueños grew from conversations around WOCAP, the West Oak Cliff Area Plan. As residents and small-business owners discussed proposed changes to the Hampton-Clarendon corridor, many raised concerns about displacement, the future of legacy businesses and whether the people who built the neighborhood would continue to have a place in it. The mural became a creative response: a way to beautify the corridor while affirming that West Oak Cliff’s businesses, families and culture are here to stay.

J&E Express owner Jerry Figueroa helped spark that vision. During the WOCAP process, auto-shop owners challenged the idea that their businesses were simply “unsightly,” asking instead how they could invest in and uplift the spaces they have long served from. That conversation led to the idea of murals across local auto shops—beginning with J&E Express and a broader vision for a West Oak Cliff mural district.

The artists and vision

The project was developed by artist and Texas Woman’s University professor Giovanni Valderas alongside Oak Cliff native and recent TWU BFA graduate Issy Martinez. Martinez worked with Valderas and Figueroa to build a design rooted in what she saw growing up in the neighborhood: the paleta vendor, flower sellers, barbershops, working families, children and the everyday people whose labor keeps the community moving.

The mural’s title, Sueños, means “dreams.” It reflects the sacrifices and ambitions of working people—from the fields to the storefront, from parents working multiple jobs to the young people reaching for new opportunities. One detail on the paleta cart reads, “Somos el sueño americano”—“We are the American dream.”twu

With its vivid flowers, monarch butterflies, lowrider, portraits of neighborhood people and the Virgin Mary watching over the community, Sueños makes space for joy while also carrying a message of resistance and resilience. It honors the idea that art can bring people together, tell the truth about a neighborhood and help residents shape their own future.

Honoring Sylvia Collins

The mural also honors the late Sylvia Collins, a longtime Oak Cliff activist and community advocate who was killed in the May explosion at The Clyde apartments. Collins is depicted prominently in the mural, a tribute to her years of service, advocacy and commitment to justice, equality and the Oak Cliff community.

Including Collins in Sueños ensures that her presence and impact remain part of the neighborhood she fought for. Her image stands alongside workers, business owners and community members—reminding visitors that the strength of Oak Cliff lives in the people who show up, speak out and care for one another.

Find and support it

Visit the Sueños mural at J&E Express, 2220 W. Clarendon Drive in West Oak Cliff. It is the first in a planned series of murals across 11 local auto shops, with the goal of creating a cultural destination that supports local businesses and tells the neighborhood’s story.

To get involved, follow and connect with Somos Tejas, which supported the project through fundraising and community organizing. The organization works to strengthen civic participation and empower Latino communities across Texas. You can also support future murals by attending community events, sharing the project and investing in the local businesses that make West Oak Cliff.