The artist’s vision in his mural *Trazos del viento* (Strokes of the Wind) is profound, lofty, and symbolic. He breaks with old clichés and innovates with this sweeping, all-encompassing panorama. Above and in the foreground: the golden eagle, reigning over our vast landscape, and the sandhill crane taking flight—journeying from the lands bordering the Bustillos Lagoon (depicted here in the visual mid-ground in shades of blue). The crane draws our gaze skyward after we hear its call—at once deep and muted—as it travels toward northern lands, crossing borders, or as it makes its return journey. Contemplating these two birds makes one want to paraphrase the "poor poet of Orihuela" and say: there are wings that set us free, that banish solitude and tear away sorrow—wings that fly, and a heart that flashes in the eyes. To the left and right, and in the background—forming a third visual plane—lie the silhouettes of the beautiful mountain ranges that encircle our lovely valley. At the base and in the foreground, as if upholding it all, are strong, generous hands crafted from *güare de palmilla* (palm fiber); these hands serve as an allegory for the blend of races whose tenacity and effort have borne the fruit of a progressive city like Cuauhtémoc. With this mural—defined by a sense of constant motion driven by the ever-present force of the wind—Miguel Valverde now ranks among the most outstanding visual artists to emerge from this community, which has, over the decades, established itself as one of the most important in our "Great State." Congratulations to us all, the beholders.
José Luis Domínguez
