The official closing of the Vuela Tijuana project took place this afternoon, coinciding with the unveiling of the mural “Tijuana: Yesterday, Today and Forever”. Located on Avenida Revolución, directly in front of the iconic Caesars Restaurant, the large-scale work was created by artist Eduardo Gómez, known professionally as “Serie,” and represents the city’s past, present, and future.
Artist Bernardo Jaramillo, who also collaborated on the initiative, offered a brief account of the project’s origins and his involvement. He explained that a friend had initially approached him with the idea of “creating a series of portraits depicting Tijuana residents”, which is something that Jaramillo had already completed on his own. The team proposed expanding the effort into a mural located in the heart of the city, ultimately bringing Gómez on board as the lead painter responsible for the majority of the work.
Prior to the mural’s formal presentation, Mayor Abdiel Gutiérrez addressed attendees and reflected on the broader impact of the Vuela Tijuana project:
“This initiative took on greater significance after we met with officials at the Mexican consulate in San Diego. The consul mentioned that they are constantly seeking ways to encourage more Mexican-Americans to visit. We shared the details of this project, and they showed strong interest, even telling us they wanted to replicate it.”
The Meaning Behind the Mural
The mural draws its central inspiration from a story shared with Gómez by a member of the Kumiai indigenous community. At its core is the figure of a grandmother, rooted in the Kumiai cosmovision, which holds that when human beings complete their life cycle, they return to a cosmic home, from which the Pleiades constellation can be seen from anywhere.
From there, the composition depicts ancient cave paintings, alongside endemic fauna and guardian figures: a bighorn sheep, an eagle, and a fox, the original protectors of the land. The mural then transitions into early Tijuana, portraying horseback riders, railroad tracks, the first communication systems, and early automobiles, followed by landmarks such as the old Agua Caliente casino and the Caesars Hotel, which helped put the city on the global stage.
Also featured is the Hotel Río Rita, another emblematic site in Tijuana’s history. The narrative then shifts to the city’s tourist identity, opening with the famous zebra-painted donkeys, followed by the iconic Tijuana sign bearing the number 1, a reference to Federal Highway 1 that connects the city to all municipalities in Baja California, extending all the way to Cabo San Lucas.
The mural concludes with a collection of faces that reflect Tijuana’s multicultural character, buildings, the city’s landmark arch, and a Xoloitzcuintli dog.
