Celebrating Family Heritage Through Food and Art
CHAMPAIGN — Food often serves as a focal point in the smallest moments that weave a family’s history—moments filled with generations cooking together, stories shared in the kitchen, and traditions honored over time.
For Armando Sandoval, making homemade tortillas with his grandmother is a cherished memory from his childhood. Sandoval is the proud owner of Maize Mexican Grill, which he founded in 2011 and operates at three locations in Champaign-Urbana.
A Mural of Memories
The new mural at Maize on Neil Street highlights these memories, inviting the community to see their own family stories reflected in the artwork. “When you do something like that, you want to make that connection with people,” Sandoval says.
The mural features a young girl, lovingly guided by an older woman, as she makes tortillas over an open fire. Sandoval recalls making tortillas with his grandmother at just five years old. Growing up on a farm in rural Mexico, fresh food was a way of life for every meal.
“Every time I walk by a grill and see a fluffy tortilla, I think of my grandmother,” Sandoval reminisces. “She was… very hardworking.” This deep-seated connection inspired Sandoval to ensure that every tortilla served at his restaurants is made from scratch each day, just as his grandmother taught him.
The Artist’s Vision
To bring his vision to life, Sandoval collaborated with local artist Jose Vazquez, renowned for his other murals around Champaign-Urbana. Vazquez aimed to capture Sandoval’s bond with his grandmother and his passion for cultural cuisine.
“He has this huge connection with the food and also just where he came from, his culture,” Vazquez notes. Sandoval was taken aback by how effectively Vazquez conveyed his personal memories through art. “Jose just basically read my mind,” he reflects. “When there’s a great art piece, it brings people together to talk about it.”
Another significant detail incorporated into the piece is a monarch butterfly near a mortar on the left side, symbolizing loved ones who have passed away in Sandoval’s and his wife’s families. “Family is very important,” he emphasizes. “I believe that those who’ve passed are still with us in one way or another.”
Building Connections
Since the mural’s unveiling, Sandoval has received numerous compliments, but one response stands out: a man from India shared that the mural reminded him of his own family memories. “Oh my God the mural is beautiful. I just wanted to tell you that when I saw the mural I saw my grandmother,” the man said.
For Sandoval, this feedback exemplifies how a mural rooted in his Mexican heritage can resonate with someone from another part of the world.
Ultimately, Sandoval hopes the mural will foster community and connection. It portrays a moment in time with his grandmother in Mexico, yet it reflects a universal experience occurring in kitchens around the globe.
“I think that a scene like that just shows us how many similarities we have between each other,” Sandoval affirms.
