By Sydney Williams

On the first day of February, a group of Sunset residents huddled in a small garage to keep dry from the rain as they waited with hushed anticipation to execute their surprise.

In the silence, time seemed to move slower as more invited guests began to arrive.

Whispering and sipping on drinks, anticipation filled the garage.

Finally, the door creaked open, slowly revealing the jam-packed group with a burst of eager voices and bubbling excitement, welcoming Roma Vázquez Scolari to her surprise 80th birthday party. She didn’t know it yet, but the real surprise was yet to come.

After moving to the Sunset seven months ago, Laurie Vázquez Scolari decided that the outside of her white and black house on Taraval Street and 45th Avenue, which neighbors refer to as the “See’s Candy house,” needed some extra color. Inspired by her mother’s immigration journey from Puebla, México, to California, Laurie decided to dedicate a mural to her mother as a tribute to her story, culture and strength while also making a larger statement about immigration laws.

“The arts are so pervasive of who we are, and I wanted to make a statement that represents my act of love and resistance and remember all of those who have come to this country for all the right reasons,” Laurie said. “I wanted to honor the beauty all immigrants add to the texture of who we are as an American culture. And I feel like my mom represents that well.”

After exiting the garage, the navy-blue tarp that was covering the mural from the public – and Roma – fell, revealing the 20-foot by 13-foot mural of vibrantly colored flowers – red-yellow courageous poppies, powerful marigolds and dahlias, protective cacti, nurturing rebozo, ambitious epazotes and the giving snowy plover. Colorful symbols overlap a reimagined black and white image of Roma when she first arrived in the United States.

With the help of Olivia Onpin, the owner of the Luna Rienne Gallery, artists DJ Agana and Ursula Young spent three months creating the mural. They combined their two different and distinct art styles, graffiti and acrylic, to bring Laurie’s idea to life.

“We have created tons of productions together before, but we have never painted together where our art intertwined,” DJ Agana said. “I call it dancing on the walls. Everything is going over and under and you can’t tell where one artist starts and the other begins. I love the contrast of the two mediums because it gives the piece more texture.”

The mural adds a pop of color to the neighborhood, contrasting to the usually gray Ocean Beach sky. Neighbors and other passersby asked questions about the mural and showed their support by dropping off snacks from local businesses and cards sharing their admiration.

“I’m already feeling like everyone is liking it and I’ve gotten a lot of positive comments from when the mural was going up, so I think it was a good decision. I’m feeling good about it,” Laurie said.

Other friends of the Vázquez Scolari family said that they see their own unique experiences painted larger than life.

“For me, it represents change,” said April Henderson, a co-worker of one of Roma’s three children. “We should all be represented in all spaces. The Sunset has always had a specific economic and social status, and it signifies what could be possible and that all people can be in all spaces.”

Roma held her family close after the mural unveiling, thanking her children and welcoming her new friends to her surprise party. She was nervous, happy and thrilled to be honored in the mural.

“My heart is too full,” Roma said after the unveiling.