Esmeralda Vasquez’s path as a muralist has taken her across the region and into the heart of Seattle’s public art scene. The Seattle-based Latinx artist, now a program director for a Seattle nonprofit, has built her career around large-scale murals that connect culture, place and community, most recently with a collaboration for Seattle Kraken’s Hispanic Heritage Night.
Vasquez, who is from Yakima, moved to Oregon when she was seven and back to Yakima after graduating from high school in 2016.
“I’m very connected to Yakima still because me and my mom would visit almost monthly through all those years,” Vasquez said. “All my family is still there, my aunts, uncles, cousins, everybody … I have a lot of friends there still.”
Vasquez’s artwork for Kraken Common Thread was used during the team’s Hispanic Heritage Night on Oct. 28.
The collaboration required designing for multiple parts of the arena: digital screens, shoulder-patch secondary logos and even the ice itself. Players wore one-of-a-kind jerseys with Vasquez’s logo and secondary logo on them.
“I didn’t realize it was going to be on the ice,” Vasquez said. “My jaw dropped when I saw that. It was the same feeling I get when I bring a tiny design to life on a big wall, only, this was like digital and it was everywhere in the arena.”
A celebration of heritage on ice
In her design, Vasquez centered the Kraken’s “S” inside an arched doorway framed by steps and wrapped in vines. “Vines can last years and years,” she said. “To me, they represent the resilience we carry as a culture.”
As part of the Kraken Common Thread initiative, Esmeralda Vasquez’s imagery adorned specialty jerseys Hispanic Heritage Night on Oct. 28, 2025, when the Seattle Kraken played the Montreal Canadiens at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle.
Photo by Adrian Pacheco
The steps are Talavera tiles, a nod to traditional Mexican pottery known for its hand-painted symmetry and vibrant colors. Vasquez said she wanted to capture that same rhythmic balance through the surrounding greenery. She enclosed the “S” in a dark green to enhance the contrast of red and pink tones, choosing a simplified color palette to keep the details clear and cohesive.
The Kraken Common Thread program is part of the Seattle Kraken’s commitment to inclusivity and unity within the team’s community. Common Thread nights feature special jerseys created by artists, in-game programming and acknowledgement on social media.
Artist Esmeralda Vasquez wears a specialty jersey created as part of the Kraken Common Thread initiative for Hispanic Heritage Night that took place on Oct. 28, 2025, at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle.
Photo by Adrian Pacheco
“It symbolizes the idea that, regardless of our diverse backgrounds and unique experiences, we are all woven together by the same passion and devotion for our team,” according to the Kraken website. “The Seattle Kraken recognize that we are not bound by our uniformity but by the richness of our diversity.”
Due to NHL rules, the special jerseys were not worn on the ice and were not for sale. Players autographed jerseys that were auctioned off to benefit One Roof Foundation and El Centro De La Raza, a local nonprofit dedicated to supporting the Latino community of Washington state.
The Kraken reached out to Vasquez in February 2025, after seeing her work on her Instagram (@esoveresmeralda), Vasquez said.
“I learned that the Kraken (organization) is really supportive of not only local artists, but artists in general,” Vasquez said. “They want to amplify us and our work to bring more attention to hockey and make it more a more accessible sport.”
Finding a calling in murals and art
Vasquez’s interest in art began early, she said, sharing memories of creating and enjoying art as early as preschool. She began taking art seriously in high school and became a muralist in 2019. Her first mural was in Yakima.
“It’s over at Good Times N Tattoos, they have my equality mural in their space, and so it feels like the perfect fit, honestly,” she said.
After briefly attending the Art Institute, Vasquez realized traditional art school wasn’t for her.
“In 2020 I ended up getting a job offer in Seattle,” she said. “I ended up quitting after five months because I was like, this also isn’t for me, and I need to do art … anything else that I’ve done besides art, I’ve just been really unhappy.”
Vasquez’s realization led her to the Seattle nonprofit Urban Artworks, where she worked with youth and other local artists to create murals in the community as well as writing curriculum. She also led an eight-week long mural apprentice program that taught young artists how to research, design and bring their murals to life.
During her time at Urban Artworks, Vasquez taught young artists how to incorporate meaning and symbolism into their art—themes she continues to channel in her own work, which reflects her deep ties to culture and community.
“I feel very connected to my values, and I want to make sure that I stay on the path with that,” Vasquez said. “I mostly work with nonprofits now.”
She has worked with Pro Choice Washington, Urban Artworks, The Feels Foundation and The Museum of Flight.
Growth, resilience and connection
Though her Seattle murals have drawn broad attention, Vasquez remains connected to her Yakima roots with completed murals throughout the valley, including a large piece at Valley Mall and a nine-panel gym mural for the Yakima Housing Authority.
Through murals, teaching and nonprofit work, Vasquez continues to center community and culture in her career.
“Sometimes the attitude that you have towards your hometown can be very negative, but I feel like the appreciation I have for the valley and the people in it… I’m super grateful for it,” Vasquez said.
From Yakima to Seattle, Vasquez has built a career that intertwines personal expression with public engagement. Whether her vines are climbing digital screens at Climate Pledge Arena or stretching across a Valley Mall wall, they carry a message of growth, resilience and connection.