Mercado Unveils Murals

On November 10, Mercado on Fifth unveiled three colorful murals that celebrate Hispanic culture on its newly renovated building.

The approximately 2,500-square-feet of murals feature a ballet folklorico dancer in a colorful gown, a field of marigold flowers and images inspired by Day of the Dead among other intricate details. The murals also pay homage to the organization’s history with a realistic portrait of Mercado on Fifth founder Bob Ontiveros’ grandfather Cirilo.

“We hope this mural inspires Hispanic cultural pride to the thousands of Latinos that call the Quad Cities home,” said Mercado President Maria Ontiveros. “The artwork is a gift to honor the community that has made Mercado on Fifth such a vibrant place to start the weekend.”

Mercado on Fifth partnered with Chicago-based artist Czr Prz to create the murals located at their new building off 4th Ave. just south of the Vibrant Arena. The artist and his team worked over a period of a month to complete the project. “We put a lot of trust into Czr to cover 3 sides of the building, and he did not let us down,” said Ontiveros. “The details are stunning.”

The media and community members were invited to the mural unveiling at the Mercado on Fifth building at 423 12th St. Moline, IL 61265 at 11:30 am on Thursday, November 10.

About the artist

Czr Prz (Caesar Perez) is a contemporary artist working in sculpture and large-scale aerosol murals. Born and raised in Chicago, Prz’s 20-year creative career has spanned North America and Europe. Prz enjoys telling stories with his artwork in the folkloric tradition instilled by his Latino-Caribbean upbringing. His colorful pieces balance the beauty of ancient and natural elements with futuristic surrealism and incorporate symbols culled from traditional sources and pop culture alike.

About the building

Having outgrown its location on Moline’s 5th Avenue, Mercado on Fifth is capitalizing on the momentum it’s experienced by expanding indoors. In late 2019, Mercado, in partnership with real estate development group West Gateway Partners LLC, purchased the former Car Shop Inc. at 423 12th St., Moline, adjacent to the organization’s outdoor property. Mercado and West Gateway, both managed by members of the Ontiveros family, are renovating the 6,300-square-foot building into a business incubator and event space.

Mercado on Fifth hosts 'Dia de los Muertos' parade

WQAD - Mercado on Fifth brought new and unique festivities to the Quad Cities over the weekend. 

On Saturday, Oct. 22, the organization hosted the ‘Dia de los Muertos’ parade in downtown Moline.

"It was a lot of work, I didn't know exactly what to expect,” said Anamaria Rocha, director of Mercado on Fifth. “Whatever I did expect, it definitely surpassed my expectations. The moment the first float went up, I got chills.”

‘Dia de los Muertos’, translated to Day of the Dead in English, is a Mexican celebration that is celebrated to remember loved ones who have passed away. It’s also an opportunity to keep their memories alive.

“It's important that we celebrate and remember who we are, it's important that we celebrate our traditions,” said Greg Aguilar who is also part of Mercado on Fifth. “It's part of what makes us who we are, especially about Latinos and a lot of Mexican Americans."

Hundreds of people gathered to participate in the celebrations. Many had painted skulls on their faces and wore traditional attire for the event. 

“It was just so beautiful to see so many people come out for this today,” said Rocha. “I saw such a diverse crowd. It wasn't just Hispanos or Latinos, and that to me is amazing because it shows how much support the Hispanic community has in the Quad Cities.”

Aguilar added that he was “extremely surprised by the support of the community” when discussing the crowd.

“I haven’t seen this many people in downtown in a very long time” Aguilar said.

As the season ends for Mercado on Fifth, the team is hoping that the parade will become an annual tradition for the Quad Cities.