Over 170 years ago, an escaped slave from Virginia named Nathaniel Booth opened a barbershop on the first floor of Mechanic’s Hall on Dutton Street, which became a hub for abolitionist activity.

Angurria’s artwork celebrates this history, through the symbolism of iconic curlers or “rolos” and conga percussion — familiar imagery for Lowell’s Latinx and Black population. Angurria’s mural is an expression of Dominican women’s everyday beauty. Hair rollers are a huge part of the culture, but they are worn behind closed doors. Angurria knew about them from spending time in the hair salon that his mother owns. The mural is in honor of his mother, who was a hairdresser, and all of the women of the Dominican Republic. Preparing your hair in rollers is something that many Dominican women do but it is mostly done in private and Angurria wanted to show that to the rest of the world. The heroine of his mural steps out of the tiles of her home, under the grand sky above to celebrate her culture in a vibrant, musical way.

Angurria completed the first half of the mural in 2021, and continued the piece in 2022 with support from Community Teamwork, Inc.

Lowell Sun Article

Beyond Walls