Carlos Barboza completed his first A native of San José, Costa Rica, Barboza and his mural of 2022 early in the year. As usual, it is another family moved to the United States when he was ten “wow-that’s-incredible masterpiece,” and it graces years old. “My dad was an electrical engineer with a an exterior wall of Hope Community Services, Inc. university degree,” Barboza explains. “We lived a very “It’s 50’x20’ and it had to be designed and installed comfortable life as an upper middle-class family in in record time of two weeks,” Barboza says. “It’s a Costa Rica.” project of the Oklahoma Arts Council’s Art in Public But Barboza’s parents wanted to give their children Places Program in cooperation with the Oklahoma more opportunities. They left everything behind Department of Human Services.” and headed north to the United States, landing in El Barboza is one of those rare individuals who was Reno, Oklahoma to be near relatives. born an artist. Refusing to grade his art homework, “At first, we lived with relatives,” Barboza tells. an elementary school teacher insisted his parents “And then we moved into a very cramped, small did his work for him. “My mom had to go to the apartment. It was a big cultural shift. My dad did school and prove that I did the work myself,” maintenance work. It was very blue-collar work, and explains Barboza. “Since before I can remember, I’ve he did not speak English. He had been a professional been doing art.” in Costa Rica, and he was willing to do this way below his skill level. He has never complained.” Barboza attended El Reno schools for 5th through 6th grades before moving to Yukon, graduating from Yukon High School in 2008. After high school Barboza enrolled in a few college classes, but things weren’t going smoothly. He ended up working jobs to pay bills and painted and drew on paper and canvas during off hours. Then a friend asked him to paint an exterior mural for her Yukon business. In four to five days, he completed his first mural. And only two months later, Yukon Chamber of Commerce CEO Pam Shelton contacted Barboza about a project. They met to discuss her ideas in 4