FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – With such rich and colorful cultures, it’s hard to define Latin American and Hispanic heritage with blanket terms. That was at the forefront of artist Dave Ortega’s mind when he designed the special edition scarf for the New England Revolution’s annual Noche Latina e Hispana.
The design pays homage to Latin American crafts, on one side honoring the textile workings you may see in places like Mexico and Guatemala and on the other, a tribute to tile designs in Latin America. It’s a scarf as colorful, beautiful, and intricately woven as the rich histories across Latin and Hispanic heritage.
“My approach is to pay homage to the various artisan craft works that have been handed down for centuries, and just really celebrate the beauty of Latin America, its cultures and its people,” explained Ortega.
His design isn’t just about celebrating the Latin American and Hispanic communities, it’s also about celebrating how different and diverse each of them are. For Ortega, you can group these cultures together under Latina and Hispanic titles, but it’s almost a shame to just leave it at that.
“The Latin American and Hispanic communities are just so richly diverse and different. You can’t really lump them into a single category,” he said. “I’ve learned so much about the complexities and the diverse richness of what it means to be Latin American through my experiences here in the Boston area.”
Ortega, a Mexican American artist from El Paso, Texas, has lived in New England for more than 20 years, and it’s a place that he’s happy to call home. As a cartoonist, illustrator, and graphic designer, Ortega spends his time freelancing artwork, while also working on projects like his graphic novel Días de Consuelo, and teaching illustration courses at Lesley University in Cambridge.
His novel, *Días de Consuelo*, follows the early life of his grandmother, who was born during the Mexican Revolution. It’s that idea of Revolution which made the collaboration with the Revs feel so right.
“Tying it to the idea of revolution, and the scarf, and the team, it is just a happy coincidence,” he said.
Amidst the colorful patterns, the scarf also showcases the message “viva la revolución!” It’s a play on the phrase, which not only celebrates the New England Revolution and honors American history, but it’s also a familiar saying throughout Latin American countries.
“It’s a proud shout that's declared throughout Latin America as an homage to the independence movements of those countries and to celebrate the achievements of the independence movements,” Ortega explained.
It’s a shout that will likely ring throughout the stands of Gillette Stadium on Noche Latina e Hispana as the Revolution take on Atlanta United FC at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday night. Ortega will be in attendance, showcasing his work and selling his art, alongside musical performances, community activations, and celebratory fun in the Fan Zone to highlight the Latin and Hispanic communities in New England.
To accompany the celebration, Ortega’s scarf will be available for purchase at the Gillette Stadium Pro Shop and in-stadium merchandise shops.
“It’s really exciting. I honestly hadn't really thought about soccer scarves as a medium for expression, but full credit to the New England Revolution for allowing my full idea to take shape in this way,” expressed Ortega. “I'll be so thrilled to see people walking around in the scarves. I'll be happy to see it myself for the first time, and that I’ve also been given the opportunity to be there and showcase my work, my comics, and expose my art to a brand new audience.”
