TYLER, Texas — On four colorful painted walls at Shine's Coffee Shop in downtown Tyler, Jessika Wilson's artwork isn't the only thing displayed but also her culture.
Born and raised in Tyler, Wilson grew up in a Tex-Mex household where her parents, Robert and Eva Garcia made it a priority to teach their children their Mexican heritage.
"I'm a third-generation Mexican-American and people ask me how I know Spanish. I tell them it's because my mom made it a point for us to know it," Wilson said. "I feel like in a lot of our households we make it a point to keep our heritage strong. And that's what makes me so proud that after three generations, I speak Spanish. Maybe not so well but I know it well enough to pass it along to my children."
From an early age, Wilson knew she wanted to be an artist and her mother paved her creativity.
"My mother was so crafty and growing up I would watch my mother turn leftover material from her seamstress work into pretty flowers. I remember going to career day dressed as an artist as a little girl," Wilson said. "So, it was always around me, it's something that I really love and now it's a huge part of my life."
Although Wilson was passionate about art, she said she felt that it was something silly to be good at and it wasn't until four years ago when she decided to finally take her passion seriously.
"When my mom got sick, I quit my job to take care of her and it gave me more time during the day, so I picked up art," Wilson said. "Then the opportunity came to be part of the Shine art exhibit and I can't think Ms. Suzy enough for having faith in me."
Inspired by a trip to Mexico with her husband, Wilson combined her passion for art and her Mexican-American roots to bring myths, religion, music, and traditions to life in her exhibit.
"I specifically wanted people to come in here and be like, 'I resonate with the artwork.' Even though some of us aren't Catholic we recognize la Virgen de Guadalupe, we all love Selena's music, we all look at these remedies and laugh," Wilson said. "I wanted people to know my culture and even though you might not be Hispanic you can connect with it in some way."
Nuestra Cultura
Since being part of the Shine exhibit, Wilson has challenged her art skills by painting murals at local businesses, King Torta and Cup O' Joy.
"It's been such a blessing to be a part of other people's journeys. I've met several other Hispanic business owners that have given me the opportunity to do cool murals," Wilson said. "It's just another challenge for me and when I'm finished, I just surprise myself each time. It shows me that I am capable of murals and so much more."
As a proud Tejana and Mexican-American, Wilson celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month to never lose sight of what her culture is.
"Every nationality, every culture and traditions being passed from generation to generation is important," Wilson said. "It's important to be proud all the time of where you're from and to not let anybody take that away from you."
As for the future, Wilson will continue to create artwork and grow her business, Bee Original Co. where she sells a couple of authentic embroidered Mexican clothes and accessories.
"I would love for my business to be a place where people can feel safe and (continue to) empower woman to feel comfortable in their own skin. I want to open a place not only to shop but where I can do (art) workshops so people can participate and be creative with me," Wilson said.
Wilson is excited to continue sharing her Mexican-American culture through her artwork with the community.
"It dawned on me on what art really is and how art can bring joy to to other people," Wilson said. "I really enjoy creating stuff that people will love, and I want them to feel that joy when they see my art."
