photo by: Contributed/Javy Ortiz

Lawrence artist Javy Ortiz working on one of six murals that will be a part of the La Yarda Public Art Project. His work will be officially unveiled Sept. 20, completing a years-long drive to recognize community of La Yarda, which was a housing unit built along railroad tracks that housed dozens of Mexican-American railway workers and their families from 1920 to 1951.

The vibrant murals that will soon celebrate the story of La Yarda, the early 20th century Mexican American housing complex in Lawrence, remind artist Javy Ortiz of his own immigrant story.

While he was planning the public art project that will soon adorn part of the Lawrence Loop trail at Eighth and Delaware streets, Ortiz, a Mexican-born artist based in Lawrence, got to sit down with some former residents of the La Yarda complex, which was built in the 1920s and destroyed by a flood in 1951.

He was struck by the stories about the railway workers who lived in those red brick buildings in the woods along the tracks — the sense of community and togetherness, and how they carried aspects of their Mexican heritage into the U.S. with them and figured out a way to make it work.

That sense of community is similar, he said, to what he and his family and neighbors experienced growing up.

“It definitely felt like I was sitting in a room with my family, listening to the old stories from back in the day,” Ortiz said.

Now, Ortiz’s celebration of La Yarda and Lawrence’s Mexican immigrant community is about a month away from being unveiled to the public. The murals will be dedicated at a ribbon cutting ceremony on Saturday, Sept. 20. It will also include a guided walk through the Lawrence Loop down to Van Go, 715 New Jersey St., where there will be refreshments and a performance by the band Maria the Mexican that will feature songs inspired by Ortiz’s six mural panels.

The public art project, organized by the Lawrence Arts Center and made possible by funding from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, drew applications from all over the country. Ortiz eagerly applied because the story of La Yarda resonated with him, and he wanted to do something to recognize Mexican Americans in Lawrence.

“I thought I could put together a good project to help honor the community,” Ortiz said.

To learn what life in La Yarda was like, Ortiz said he spoke with five or six families of former residents. He used their stories and some photos to highlight aspects of their daily lives: community gardens, hard work on the railroad and Sunday dinners that brought people together.

Ortiz said he made a special connection with the former residents. As he was designing the murals, he would bring them to the families and show them his progress. Ortiz said he felt responsible for portraying their memories accurately, and that required a lot of feedback from them. Sometimes, they would say they didn’t like something, and he’d later bring another design in.

“It was more of a collaborative effort,” Ortiz said.

The project won’t just be a series of colorful pictures; it will include historical signage, as well, that recognizes the contributions of the La Yarda community. The push to get more recognition for La Yarda started around 20 years ago but gained momentum in recent years thanks to a multi-year project from Marlo Angell that worked with Mexican American families to tell those stories.

Now, the project is coming to a close, and Ortiz is making some last-minute finishing touches, including adding painted flowers and butterflies that will be installed between the large panels to help “carry the story through.”

The recognition has been years in the making for many Lawrence residents — and generations in the making for the La Yarda families — but Ortiz is looking forward to seeing the complete project and celebrating with the community.

“After that ribbon gets cut, it’s going to be a party,” Ortiz said.