As Race Street in Fort Worth’s Riverside neighborhood struggles to attract foot traffic and sustain businesses, community leaders hope a new large-scale mural draws more interest to the area.
The Riverside Arts District and community businesses awarded a $30,000 commission to local muralist Juan Velázquez to paint a tribute to the neighborhood’s past and present on the wall of Carniceria La Superior facing Race Street.
Belinda Norris, president of the Riverside Arts District, hopes the mural anchors the streetscape makeover and attracts people to the forgotten area.
“We have a large, growing Hispanic community here in Riverside,” Norris said. “We wanted to do something that highlights that as a salute to the Hispanic community, but also speaks to Riverside’s history.”
The Carniceria La Superior wall facing Race Street in Fort Worth’s Riverside neighborhood will be painted over with a new mural from artist Juan Velázquez. The wall, pictured Aug. 7, 2025, currently has a smaller painting on it. (David Moreno | Fort Worth Report)
Velázquez declined to share a rendering of the 17-by-101-foot mural to keep it a surprise, but explained the large-scale painting will feature the word “Riverside” on a black wall illustrated in the Mexican folk art style.
Bright colored flowers, cowboy boots and butterflies will be painted to resemble embroidery on traditional Hispanic attire. A pair of monarch butterfly wings will be featured on the right side of the wall as a spot for visitors to stand for photos.
Carniceria La Superior has invested $15,000 toward the project and hopes community members will help secure the remaining funds by the end of the year.
“We look at this like an investment, not only in our business but for the community that we know is gonna attract a lot of people,” Guillermo Sigala Jr., managing partner of the Mexican butcher shop, said. “We’re asking everybody to help.”
Struggling arts district
The Riverside neighborhood of Fort Worth, established in the late 19th century, was initially a commercial hub centered around what was known as Six Points, where Riverside Drive, Belknap Street and Race Street intersected.
The area was annexed by Fort Worth in 1922 and experienced significant development in the following decade after construction of the Belknap Street Bridge, which connected the neighborhood to downtown.
The 1949 flood caused displacement and contributed to the area’s demographic shifting from predominantly white to Hispanic and Black. The neighborhood faced economic decline in the following decades.
Beginning in 2010, the city of Fort Worth, developers and neighborhood advocates launched a yearslong effort to redevelop the stretch of Race Street that runs from Oakhurst Scenic Drive to East Belknap Street.
The city spent nearly $6 million on the northeast area, known as the Six Points Urban Village, to improve traffic, sidewalks and landscape in hopes it would become the next trendy destination in Fort Worth. Small businesses have struggled to launch their businesses in the corridor, with some owners closing their doors a few years after opening them.
The Riverside Arts District has spent recent years pulling people to the area through street events and vendor markets, Norris said, but the large-scale mural feels like the next best step.
“It’s a huge billboard for Race Street,” she said. “When you come around that corner, you’re gonna see the Riverside Arts District and you’re gonna wanna travel down to see what’s going on.”
Riverside business, artist step up
Guillermo Sigala Jr., managing partner of Carniceria La Superior, stands in front of his father’s business at 700 N. Sylvania Ave. in Riverside Aug. 7, 2025. (David Moreno | Fort Worth Report)
Sigala Jr. has seen the evolution of the Riverside corridor in the two decades his father has operated their Mexican butcher shop. He’s been both optimistic and dismayed when businesses come and go in the community he loves.
The butcher shop initially collaborated with the Riverside Arts District for a temporary children’s mural on the side of its business, but Sigala Jr. knew there needed to be a more permanent artwork, he said.
In late June, Sigala Jr. contacted Velázquez to commission the large-scale mural. The Fort Worth artist jumped on the opportunity immediately since he had spent three years living in the neighborhood and had regularly shopped for fajita meat at the butcher shop.
The Fort Worth muralist has been celebrated in the city for his work that typically honors Hispanic figures, including Latino baseball players and Mexican superhero Namor from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
“I’ve gone many times (to the shop) with my daughter and to me it’s cool getting to paint somewhere I’m familiar with. It’s my community,” Velázquez said.
Sigala Jr. said his family didn’t hesitate to pay half of the artist’s requested commission since the business wants to be a part of Riverside Arts District’s vision for the neighborhood.
Council member Jeanette Martinez, who represents the Riverside area, said she’s “thrilled” about the project, believing it supports local businesses and builds community pride. She plans to contribute $1,000 toward the project.
Artists Juan Velázquez, top, and Duane Guerrero work on a mural on July 7, 2024, at Mercado de Fort Worth at 1430 N. Main St. in Northside. The MLB and Texas Rangers commissioned the mural ahead of All-Star Week festivities in Tarrant County. (Camilo Diaz | Fort Worth Report)
Velázquez will spend several days in the fall turning the dream of the mural into a reality.
“I’ve always said people should see themselves in the art around the neighborhood and that’s what I’m trying to do,” he said.
The mural is expected to be unveiled on the Riverside Arts District’s 13th birthday celebration Oct. 18.
David Moreno is the arts and culture reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at david.moreno@fortworthreport.org or @davidmreports.
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