BOISE, Idaho — To kick off Hispanic Heritage Month, a mural honoring the memory of a man in the Idaho Latino community was dedicated.
On Thursday, community members gathered in the Idaho Capitol building's rotunda. As part of the Hispanic Heritage Month kick-off, the “Flowers for J.J. Saldaña” mural honoring Juan “J.J.” Saldaña, who died unexpectedly in 2023, was dedicated.
Community members took a short walk to the nearby mural in the alleyway behind the Key Bank on Capitol Boulevard.
Those in attendance took photos of the mural, which was made by local artist Bobby Gaytan, who was influenced by J.J.’s leadership and brought this mural to life to uphold his legacy.
J.J. was very involved in the community, organizing events such as the Hispanic Youth Leadership Summit. He was also an important resource for the Spanish-speaking community, as he was part of the Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs.
Gaytan painted J.J. as a superhero as he represented a hero to many in Idaho.
Hispanic Heritage Month runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.
A plaque with a quote from Gaytan is now on the mural:
Gaytan recalls: “J.J., a friend and superhero to many of us, always cared and gave people their flowers expecting nothing in return. He made people in our community feel confident and important and was inspirational in how he carried himself with pride and dignity. J.J. left before we could give him his flowers, and although we assume J.J. knew how much he meant to us, don’t wait to let someone special know how much they mean to you. Give people their flowers while they can still smell them.”