Nelson Salazar’s stained-glass works have played a role in local activism and the support of worthy non-profit causes.

By Ryan DiLello

Nelson Salazar, age 66, of Somerville, produces stained-glass pieces under the name Razalas Art. Last weekend, The Armory hosted an exhibit to showcase Salazar’s work. On a sunny Tuesday morning, I spoke to Salazar on the phone and learned a bit more about Razalas Art and his passion for activism.

What’s the story behind the name, Razalas Art?

 “Well, Razalas is my last name spelled backwards. I got the idea from Nomar Garciapara, if you remember him. His grandfather’s name is Ramón, and because his parents did not want another Ramón, they reversed it.”

How did you get into staining glass?

“There was a stained-glass workshop in Somerville, and I used to walk there and look at his work in the windows. One day, I decided to go in and ask him whether he did classes. Once I was done with the course, I thought what should I do with these tools? I’ve been doing this for about 12 years now, working from my workshop in my basement. Last year, I decided to stop working my regular job and focus on stained glass. I see it more as a hobby – people enjoy and buy my work, but I feel like I’m doing it more for my own mental health.

I don’t have any formal, academic art background, but I’m known in the community for being a troublemaker. That’s what they call you when you’re an activist (laughs). I’ve done a lot of work in the community as an activist, founding Just Us Somerville in the wake of George Floyd’s death. As a group of residents concerned about social issues, we organized candle vigils and a march.”

In addition to leading Just Us Somerville, Salazar has used his art as a fundraising mechanism. In 2021, he fundraised for the local non-profit-organization, The Welcome Project’s Immigrant Assistant Fund program. Every day from December 1 to 24, Salazar gave away a different stained-glass piece to the first donor of the day. The Welcome Project used the funds to help immigrants who had lost their jobs due to the COVID pandemic. Last year, Salazar fundraised for Groundwork Somerville, an environmental non-profit.

How does your activism relate to your art?

“Although the city of Somerville is well known for its arts community, artists of color lack recognition. I think art is a privilege, so a lot of people with privilege are able to do this kind of work. You can’t really survive from art work, but those people can afford the time. I feel like there isn’t enough recognition for artists of color.

As you go through different fields – I worked in human services, they lacked resources and communications to help spread awareness about existing resources. I’ve always felt part of the voiceless community. As I lean more into my art, I’ve realized there is a big gap for people of color. There are big gaps everywhere.”

What purpose does your art serve?

“The colors bring me back home and enable me to momentarily escape the social issues of reality. This gives me the energy to sustain my activism. My stained glass is non-traditional. When you go to church, you’ll notice they use the same five primary colors. I’m from El Salvador, a warm country, so I use warm colors which reflect my cultural background.”

View Nelson Salazar’s art here: https://cuzcatlan.weebly.com.