Hector Castellanos Lara didn’t discover his true calling as an artist until he moved to Cleveland in 1990.
“In [Cleveland] I found my circle of artists, my voice and myself,” the 66-year-old painter and visual artist said.
Over the years, Castellanos Lara got involved with the city’s art scene, connecting with peers at galleries and exhibitions in Tremont. His paintings, sculptures and curiosity lead him to launch annual events such as the art museum’s Chalk Festival and Cleveland Public Theatre’s Dia De Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration.
It also led him to Robin VanLear, founder of the art museum’s Parade the Circle in 1998.
“She saw my paintings and told me about this art parade she was doing and asked if I wanted to join her in creating a float project for the event,” Castellanos Lara said. “I didn’t have any experience building things, but she hired me and my friends to help. After that, I just kept coming back year after year.”
Now almost three decades later, Castellanos Lara is the lead artist for Parade the Circle for the second year in a row. He said he’s been working nearly 12-hour days in the parade tent to finish his most ambitious puppet piece for this year’s event: a 22-foot-long canoe with seven ancient Mayan gods paddling the seas of Central America.
It’s all inspired by his heritage, he said.
“I’ve always been tempted to create this vision one day, and this is the day that I’m doing it,” Castellanos Lara said.
Ahead of the parade in June, Signal Cleveland spoke with Castellanos about his personal muses, his favorite parade project and what attendees should expect at this year’s event. This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
What inspired this year’s theme?
Earlier this year, I was brainstorming and had a deep observation: This entire world is out of harmony. There is so much happening right now from politics to violence. I said, ‘You know, we need some light.’ I began reading about the meaning of harmony and its actual definition. It means the positive state of inner peace. It made perfect sense. The feeling of being in sync with friends, family, partners and neighbors creating different visions of art. It’s not only a beautiful experience but a magical feeling. It’s something we can all celebrate.
What inspires you to keep creating after all these years?
I had always been inclined to the arts. My father was a commercial artist. My mother was a dressmaker in Guatemala. Her inspiration for creating dresses came from the folk art of our county. When she came to New York, she continued working in garment factories.
After three years of studying medicine, I quit to pursue my passion as an artist. I moved with my parents from Guatemala City to New York City in the 1980s. My first job, I worked as a sketch artist mocking up new footwear designs and graphics for El Greco Footwear, a marketing and advertising firm in the city. I had a knack for detail that companies didn’t like, but developing my talents with other artists I found led to becoming a painter full-time.
I guess this is all to say, it was born in me. If you’re an artist, you truly never stop creating.
What should attendees be most excited about for this year’s Parade the Circle?
For the first time, we invited Hildebrandt Artist Collective and Inlet Dance Theatre to open the parade. They have a piece called “This Way,” which will feature a bunch of beautiful bird puppets and masks.
I am charged with executing the parade’s grand finale. My idea for the piece stems from the history about the ninth century Mayan migration in Central America. There’s going to be two acrobats dancing as we walk in the parade. There will also be six small canoes with children, navigating the Gulf of Mexico, going to the southern United States. But I’ve already said too much. You’ll just have to come see my vision.
Your grand finale piece seems to have a powerful message.
Harmony is people helping each other move from one place to another. They’re seeking a better place, an opportunity, a better home. People are looking for promise. That’s the true message I’m trying to bring to this parade. There’s still harmony, light and promise, even in the darkest times.
