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Two-story Selena mural is artist's gift to people of North Oak Cliff

The vibrant two-story mural of Selena Quintanilla pops off its white background. Admirers say you can almost hear the late singer belting one of her famous songs.

DALLAS -- Drive by the intersection of Jefferson and Bishop in North Oak Cliff and it's impossible to miss Jeremy Biggers' new work of art.

The vibrant two-story mural of Selena Quintanilla pops off its white background. Admirers say you can almost hear the late singer belting one of her famous songs.

"She's the Tejano queen. She always will be," said Yeny Valencia, a Selena fan who drove over 30 minutes to see the painting.

Jeremy Biggers, a local artist in Dallas, is the man behind the mural. He says he got the idea while watching the neighborhood change and gentrify.

"People are coming in and literally erasing what was here before," Biggers said.

Family-owned stores, many owned by Hispanic entrepreneurs, have struggled over the last two years as new money and new businesses have moved in and changed the price point and the feel of the historic street.

Ernesto Montiel works at Top Ten Records next door to the mural. He says the gentrification is a mixed bag and has its upsides, but it's vital the neighborhood preserves its history and the soul of the community.

"History is important. Oh yes," Montiel said.

Montiel says Selena has always been and continues to be the record store's biggest seller. Selena Quintanilla is still iconic with many of his customers in the largely Hispanic neighborhood.

"We've actually seen traffic pick up since the mural came. So many more people are coming to see her," Montiel said.

Biggers says he chose Selena as an homage to the people of North Oak Cliff. Selena has connections to the area. She shot a music video there and visited Top Ten Records during almost all of her Dallas visits.

"When I was painting it, I literally had a woman run over and fall down in front of my ladder crying," Biggers said.

Biggers says he didn't charge the building owner for the work of art, only accepting money to cover the cost of supplies. For small business owners that kind of savings can be a game changer.

"It was important to me that this was a gift. I never expected this kind of response," Biggers said.

Now the artist's social media keeps buzzing with different fans tagging themselves at the mural. Photos of young girls dressed up like the iconic singer or doing Selena dances are scrolling on social media feeds.

"I had a feeling it would have a big response but I never imagined anything like this," Biggers said.

The idea of representation motivated the artist. Biggers says he chose Selena because it's important to have a strong woman who looks like many of the young girls in the neighborhood portrayed in a positive light.

"Growing up in South Dallas I know what it's like to value that," Biggers said.

North Oak Cliff's new neighbor is still new, as Selena has only been there about a month. But neighbors say she's already making a statement and solidifying the area's heart and soul as the neighborhood continues to change.

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