"Grandma's Gift"
by Eric Velasquez
My favorite illustrator does it again, bringing to life a sweet memoir of his time with his loving grandmother that led him to become an artist.
Before he became an award winning author and illustrator, young Eric Velasquez would spend his school vacations with his grandmother while his parents worked. For this particular winter break, Eric gives us a glimpse of their holiday traditions, as his grandmother shops at La Marqueta (the market) to prepare for their Christmas Eve celebration. He even shares with us his grandma’s process of making pasteles, a traditional Christmas dish for Puerto Rican and Dominican families.
The story continues with a life-changing moment for both grandparent and grandchild. Eric must travel to The MET (Metropolitan Museum of Art) with his grandmother for a holiday project. Although she lives in Manhattan, his grandmother did not venture past the safety net of her neighborhood in El Barrio (Spanish Harlem) so she courageously travels to unfamiliar territory for the sake of her grandson and relies on him to translate English to Spanish for her.
Eric’s assignment was to write a report on a famous painting of Diego Velázquez The MET had just purchased titled Portrait of Juan de Pareja. But when they found the painting, so much more happened for him:
"We both stood there, just staring at the amazing painting. The gentleman seemed to be looking back at us. He seemed so real-much like someone we might see walking around El Barrio. I couldn't believe that this was a painting in a museum."
On that evening of Christmas Eve when the clock struck 12, Eric opens his gift from his grandmother: his very own sketchbook and first set of colored pencils. I think we can safely say that the rest is history.
We learn later on in Eric’s “Author’s Note” that after this trip, he and his grandmother would visit many museums and other city attractions so she overcame a silent fear. As for Eric, he writes:
"The Portrait of Juan de Pareja showed me for the first time that my people were part of history and not just a casualty of it. He stands so nobly in front of the viewer, as though he wants to tell you his story. The fact that Juan de Pareja was also an accomplished painter himself inspired me to dream of such possibilities for myself. I believe that I am an artist today because of that painting. Yes, it was that inspiring!"
