Painting by Oscar Morales Canal Alliance commemorates 40th anniversary

Commissioned by Canal Alliance in honor of our 40^th anniversary, this painting by Oscar Morales celebrates the journeys of immigrants overcoming barriers to achieve their dreams.

Oscar describes the painting as a representation of diversity and dreams, featuring symbols of freedom, nature, peace, and awareness.

Statement by the artist: Oscar Morales

The work of an artist has various paths, like branches of a tree. This piece celebrates Canal Alliance’s 40 years of helping immigrants realize their dreams and providing support in a new environment.

This composition brings together a diversity of people with their professions, their daily tasks, their dreams, and illusions. 

I decided to place a girl in the foreground, a symbol of freedom and innocence, playing with the elements of nature that give us peace and calm in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the cities, listening to the sound of birds singing, looking fascinated at the vibrant colors from the flowers. Next to her, there are two boys playing soccer, a sport that is transcendent in the Latino community, and the children enjoy playing it.

To one side of the girl, I represent myself as an artist, observing with a sensible gaze and trying to leave a mark of beauty by using magical, bright, luminous colors on the city murals.

Behind there is a group of students, happy to be graduating and grateful for the opportunity to have had an education due to the scholarships that this organization offered. 

There is an image of a doctor, the valuable contribution that he has made and continues to make, in helping to raise awareness about the importance of the vaccine and to stop the spread of Covid. 

Another of the main characters is the mother with her baby, symbolizing hope, love, family, and respect for the cultural traditions of the diverse immigrant people. 

Crowning the work is the San Rafael Bridge, an icon of the city and at its side, two construction workers, bringing progress and well-being to the families of this community. 

As with any work of art, the viewer’s enjoyment will be the finishing touch for the artist’s work, bringing a bit of emotion and sensitivity to our daily lives.

This artwork invites the viewer to feel emotion and connect with the community’s spirit. We thank Oscar for this beautiful piece and are proud to showcase Canal Alliance’s permanent headquarters at 711 Grand Avenue in San Rafael. Additional paintings by Oscar are featured in the lobby of Canal Alliance’s neighborhood location at 91 Larkspur Street in San Rafael.