Arturo Romero

Medium: Painting

Arturo Morales Romero, born in Tepetixtla, Guerrero, Mexico, discovered his passion for the art at the age of five while playing in the water, where the colorful pebbles beneath his feet inspired his love for colors. Growing up on a farm with his grandparents until age ten, Arturo migrated with his mother and three sisters to Visalia, California, in 1989. There, he worked in the fields picking various fruits and walnuts after school, on weekends, and during summer vacations.

Arturo attended Houston Elementary School, East Union Elementary School, Green Acres Middle School, Redwood High School, and the College of the Sequoias. At fifteen, he joined the Visalia Teen Mural Club, where he learned to paint large-scale murals, igniting his fascination with this universal art form that transcends social barriers. In 2000, Arturo moved to North Carolina, where he faced ethnic discrimination, hindering his ability to find venues for his artwork and leading him to stop painting murals. In 2009 Arturo attended Forsyth Technical college and graduated in 2013, in 2014, Arturo relocated to Grand Rapids, Michigan, with his wife Erika, and children Eloy, Emiliano, and Pilar. Arturo found Grand Rapids to be an art haven, rekindling his passion for mural painting. He participated in the ArtPrize competition in 2016, 2017, 2021, and 2022, and created several notable murals, including those at Sanchez Bistro, and MeXo, with the title “Aztlan,” and the largest mural at the new Supermercado Mexico.

Arturo believes that expressing himself through his artwork has allowed him to reclaim his pride and liberate himself from the negativity of others. He is proud to call Grand Rapids home and has contributed to the community by painting murals that celebrate history and culture. Additionally, Arturo donates 10% of his earning to provide free art materials and lessons to children at the Mexican Festival, where he teaches painting, history, culture, legends, respect, and love. He is grateful to God, his wife Erika, and his children Eloy, Emiliano, Julio, Pilar, and Alicia Xitlali for inspiring and supporting his creative journey.