Aces honored in Arts District mural as team celebrates title
Locally adored and nationally recognized, the Las Vegas Aces are being honored with a mural in the heart of the city.
In the run-up to Monday’s championship parade on the Strip, Juan Ochoa on Monday was spray-painting the finishing touches on his latest piece of art colored onto the wall of a vacant building in the Arts District.
The 23-year-old full-time artist, who uses the moniker “Latin Artist,” donned a protective mask as he illustrated A’ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray as playing cards — four-of-a-kind Aces, obviously.
“I really like where it’s going,” he told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Ochoa was being assisted by an artists collective in similar fashion to when he completed a Vegas Golden Knights mural, located about a half-court shot away, on Main Street, near Imperial Avenue.
That mural gained so much traction that hockey star Mark Stone visited the site and posed for photos with the artist. The Golden Knights captain spray-painted his signature and number on the wall.
Ochoa said he intends for his latest work to pay homage to the WNBA champions and to also attract more locals to the booming Arts District, which has a variety of eateries, breweries and a plethora of artwork.
On Wednesday, the franchise became the first WNBA team to win back-t0-back titles in 21 years. The Aces were the first Las Vegas major league team to bring Southern Nevada a championship and recently attended a White House ceremony.
“I want to create a certain type of vibe and feel,” he said. “It’s made for the city and the public to enjoy.”
Ochoa admitted he’s so engulfed in his art that he doesn’t have much time to watch sports but noted he did take inspiration from game highlights. His girlfriend helped him create the concept and aesthetic for the Aces mural, he added.
Ochoa’s color-rich murals are showcased across the valley.
He’s been creating art since he was a kid, has dabbled with drawings, canvas painting and tattoo work, and has been painting murals for about three years.
“It’s a really fun way to spend time,” he said. “Right now, I really enjoy murals the most.”
Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com. Follow @rickytwrites on Twitter.
