About the artist

Dave “Grave” Tkac Herrera is a well-known community figure, muralist, and classic sign painter based out of El Paso, Texas. He commonly operates under the moniker Dave “Grave” Herrera.Artistic Career and ContributionsMurals & Public Art: He is the founder and coordinator of 3rd Shift Mural and Sign Co.. Through his company, he collaborates with developers and architects to merge street culture with public spaces. Some of his notable public works in El Paso include coordinating the famous “Greetings from El Paso” postcard mural and painting the detailed Frida Kahlo mural in West El Paso. He also recently finished a historic postcard mural on the side wall of the Rocketbuster Boots building downtown.Community Initiatives: A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Herrera has launched several community-centric art programs. He founded the Border Youth Mural Collective in 1995 to keep local city walls clean and positive, which paved the way for the Borderland Jam Mural Walls—a major project showcasing hundreds of pieces by both local and international graffiti artists.Cultural Focus: He spent part of his childhood in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, a background that heavily inspires his cross-border art concepts. His 12x12 ft steel-gate oil painting, Sister City Zarape, was specifically designed to reflect positive codependency, harmony, and unity between the sister cities of El Paso and Juárez.

Artworks

Collaborations