This collaboration between portrait artists Germán Acosta and Amanda Auble highlights the power that Latin American literature has to elevate and inspire. 

This portrait is woman writing her own story. Her strength and beauty, as she floats effortlessly above the ground, are inspired by the real Latina writers who have been brave enough to write down their stories. 

This painting draws specifically from the writings of author Isabel Allende. In her groundbreaking novel, La Casa de los Espiritus, she creates a strong female character who has magical powers like levitating objects and herself.

Their portrait is also inspired by novelist and poet Sandra Cisneros who’s character Esperanza in The House on Mango Street shares the stories of an urban Latin neighborhood. Atlantic City has its own “Mango street” if viewers continue to walk down the real street of this mural into a diverse Latin American neighborhood. 

Levitating the type writer to her hand, this portrait represents the Latin American residents here in Atlantic City whose own stories are being written right now. From their journey to this community to living and working here every day, their stories matter.