At 93, Alicia Munkel concedes she blossomed as an artist somewhat late in life.

She paints in oil. “It’s not easy, but it’s forgiving once it’s dry. I can paint over it!” she said.

Nine of her paintings, all referencing her heritage, were celebrated at a fiesta in Astoria on Oct. 5 in the commons room at Astor Place. Refreshments and decor reflected Guatemalan art, which favors geometric patterns, animal motifs and religious symbols often showcased in woven blankets and murals.

Visitors to the private assisted-living facility on Klaskanine Avenue admired her paintings and applauded cultural dances performed by Christian Hernandez, representing El Centro NW, a nonprofit serving the Hispanic communities in Clatsop and Pacific counties.

The idea came from Tita Montero, longtime Seaside city councilor and history and art enthusiast. Her friend, Rachael Wolford, moved into Astor Place about the same time as Munkel. When Montero curated an exhibit of Wolford’s watercolors at the Seaside Public Library last fall, Munkel expressed a desire to share some of her own paintings.

Britaney Brim, executive director at Trustwell Living at Astor Place, was delighted to make it happen, timed to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month.

History

Munkel grew up amid a family that operated plantations with vast acreages of coffee, oranges and coconuts.

Guatemala, which means “place of many trees,” is the most populous country in Central America with 17 million people. It borders Mexico, Belize, El Salvador and Honduras, with coastlines that face the Pacific and Caribbean oceans.

Guatemala’s early history was associated with the Mayan Empire until the 1500s then a struggle to gain independence from Spain and Mexico, achieved in 1821. The modern era has been characterized by long-running civil wars and political turmoil.

Munkel has traveled throughout her life, savoring the music of Austria, art in museums around Europe and the sights of Morocco. She met her late husband, John, on a date with friends, walking in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. She earned a master’s degree from Sonoma State University, writing a thesis on a Guatemalan god, took art classes and taught Spanish at exclusive Catholic schools.

They had two children, Clark, who lives a few blocks from Astor Place, and Carol, who is based in Nevada.

“We traveled a lot more than the other kids,” Clark Munkel said. “I can remember Atlanta (International) Airport when it was a Quonset hut!”

Their sales of distinctive Guatemalan blankets at Portland’s Sunday Market caught the attention of a prominent Northwest department store. Family members traveled to Central America to ask if relatives who crafted them could meet a giant order. “They wanted 144 dozen,” he laughed. “We couldn’t make the deal, because they were handmade.”

Memories

Alicia Munkel draws from childhood memories. One work showed a girl burning incense in church; others, her love for nature. “I remember looking at the mountains. I counted 29 volcanoes in the northern part,” she said.

Her upbringing led her to want to portray another class. “They are the ones that are doing the work,” she said. “It’s poor people. … we never starved, thank God for that.” One piece, titled “Washer Women,” showed women at work while idle men chat.

Another, “Woman with Mango,” reflected the style of Gauguin’s Tahiti period. “He was a stinker!” she laughed, referring to the 19th-century Frenchman’s penchant for seduction rather than his art skills.

Brim, the executive director at Astor Place, reflected on Munkel’s passion. “She does a beautiful job, but she tends to hide it from everybody,” she said. “I see the work she’s done and it’s beautiful. And her life experiences are wonderful to hear about.”

Daughter-in-law Barbara Munkel was inspired, too: “She taught me how to paint — I guess it was always inside me and she helped me bring it out!”