Culture Ministry Restores Malecon Obelisk with Dustin Muñoz Paintings

Culture Ministry Restores Malecon Obelisk with Dustin Muñoz Paintings
Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo 07/02/2011

The Ministry of Culture is currently restoring the Obelisk of the Malecon (seafront promenade) with paintings by renowned artist Dustin Muñoz, in honor of the Mirabal Sisters. The finished product is expected to be inaugurated by the end of July.

The mural, “Allegory to Liberty,” will cover all four sides of the obelisk with images of various characters.

The mural, “Allegory to Liberty,” will cover all four sides of the obelisk with images of various characters.

On the Eastern side, there will be a woman holding up an enormous Dominican flag in her right hand; the fluttering flag is draped over all four sides of the monument. This image represents the Mother Country looking attentively at three butterflies flying toward the bright light of the sun, representing truth, liberty and peace.

On the northern side of the obelisk is a woman, with a crown of laurels on her head, looking at the Bible against a background of a huge white cross and a group of figures representing our pre-Colombian origins.

On the west side, three women are cutting the thread of destiny – of blood, fear and horror, representing the 31 years of dictatorship. On the south side of the obelisk, a woman is playing the flute in homage of the participation of women in the struggle for freedom, justice and peace and for their contributions to the country in the areas of art, culture, economy and labor. The four sides of the obelisk share parts of the National Shield.

This immense mural, which will cover the entire obelisk, is 170 x 1,425 inches on each one of its faces. The entire mural all together is 680 x 1,425 inches, making it the largest ever painted in the country.

“With this work of art, the government, through the Ministry of Culture, wishes to render homage to Dominican women who are symbolized in the figures of the Mirabal Sisters. This is part of the activities planned by the Culture Ministry to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Event of May 30th 1961,” said Culture Minister José Rafael Lantigua.

“It is an impressive, large-scale painting with which we are honoring the sacrifice of our women in the struggle for freedom, the search for progress and for the daily work they contribute to society in the areas of culture, social, economic and professional,” said Mr. Lantigua.

The Minister announced that the cost of mural was being totally assumed by the Grupo Progreso, “to whom we are profoundly thankful for their support of this project, which was originally conceived to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the assassination of the Mirabal sisters. It has become a reality in the historical commemoration of the dictatorship’s bloody activities of 1961.”

Grupo Progreso’s financial support includes all aspects of the construction, the painter’s honoraries, the scaffolding, painting materials and the cost of accident insurance.

The project will be inaugurated at the end of July. The exact date will be announced.

The Obelisk on the Malecón as it will look on all four sides once the Ministry of Culture completes the restoration of the monument.