98The Hands That Press the Masa
Tortilla-maker mural by Will Suarez for Bustos Tortilleria, 2497 Colonial Avenue · part of Waco’s 25th Street Corridor Plan · unveiled January 2024MURAL
On a deep green wall: a silver-haired woman pressing masa between corn painted taller than she is.
On a deep green wall on Colonial Avenue, a silver-haired woman works masa between her hands, sleeves rolled, head bent to it — flanked by ears of corn painted taller than she is, kernels the size of dinner plates, and one enormous blue flower blooming beside her. The scale is the message: the corn towers because in this kitchen, corn is the foundation of everything.
It's a monument disguised as a wall. Grand civic murals get built for generals and founders; this one honors the oldest kitchen skill in the Americas and the grandmothers who carried it here — the daily, unphotographed work of hands that fed every generation. Waco muralist Will Suarez decided that deserved a billboard — he painted it for Bustos Tortilleria as part of the city's 25th Street Corridor Plan, and it was unveiled in January 2024. He was right.
More views
