Celeste Aguirre Oñate has loved art for as long as she can remember. At 23 years old, her artwork is now on display for others to enjoy as they pass by the mural she helped create in Downtown Goldsboro.
Getting ahead in college
A first-generation college graduate, Oñate received her Associate in Arts degree from Wayne Community College in 2019 through her dual enrollment at Wayne Early Middle College High School (WEMCHS). “I loved WCC,” she said. “I had my associate’s degree before I even had my high school degree.”
Oñate enrolled at the University of Mount Olive to receive a bachelor’s degree in fine art and graduated in December of 2021. She believes her education at WCC helped her transition to a four-year university. “I would’ve struggled more if I just went in with no preparation,” she said. “It prepared me very well. I would encourage everybody to start at community college.”
During college, Oñate became a freelance artist and started commission painting Hispanic families to reflect her own Mexican-American heritage. “I would paint families together with either family members who had passed away or family members who were separated across the border since they don’t have a picture together,” she explained.
A dream opportunity
Eventually, Oñate branched out and started painting murals. She became aware of an opportunity to paint a mural in Downtown Goldsboro through her employers at Labrar Coffee, where she works part time. Oñate worked with a team of other local artists, Luis Henriquez and Maria Feliciano, to apply for the job by submitting a proposed design concept and examples of their previous artwork.
The Downtown Goldsboro Development Corporation (DGDC) received a grant from the Arts Council of Wayne County through the American Rescue Plan Act and North Carolina Arts Council to fund supplies for creating the mural and payment for the artists, who were to be BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) as required by the grant.
The mural would be not only the biggest project for Oñate so far but also her first time working with others on an art project. “The hardest part was getting our ideas in order. We all have different styles, and we had to make something cohesive,” she said. “It was tough, but I would have never been able to do it without them.”
The DGDC’s mural committee made a unanimous decision to pick Oñate and her team’s design. “I was elated,” Oñate said.
From start to finish
The mural is made to look like a postcard from Goldsboro, with each letter in the city’s name showcasing an image of what makes it unique. Creating the mural took a total of 225 hours of work over three months. “The prep took longer than the actual painting,” Oñate shared, which included pressure washing the wall and preparing the background.
The team measured the wall for correct letter placement and created paper stencils to trace the letters on the wall. The final step was painting the letters, which took two weeks. Last month, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held in front of the mural to unveil it to community members and celebrate the talent and hard work of the mural’s artists.
Leaving her mark
Oñate is proud to have left a mark on her city with the same enthusiasm she puts into all of her art. She is determined now more than ever to keep making her dreams a reality.
“I can’t give up because so many people have been supporting and encouraging me,” Oñate said. “This is all I’ve ever wanted—everybody around me knows that. And it’s coming true.”
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