Contigo Wellness to unveil back-to-school mental health mural in Pilsen

Contigo Wellness will unveil a Tú Importas Healing Mural on Aug. 22 in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood as part of a broader public art and wellness effort. The free event aims to center student, immigrant family and community mental health with bilingual affirmations and accessible resources.

Why it matters: - The mural aims to make mental health support visible in a neighborhood where students, immigrant families and working-class residents may not always find culturally responsive care. - Contigo Wellness is using public art to reduce stigma and send a public message of belonging during the back-to-school season. - The installation is meant to reach people in everyday life, not only inside clinics or private therapy settings.

What happened: - Contigo Wellness will unveil a new Tú Importas Healing Mural on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026, at 10 a.m. in Pilsen at 1617 West Cullerton Street. - The Chicago mural is part of the broader Tú Importas Healing Hubs initiative. - The Chicago installation will be the sixth Tú Importas mural across three states. - The mural was created with Chicago-based visual artist and muralist Fab RP. - The event is free and open to the public.

The details: - Tú Importas means “You Matter.” - The initiative combines public art, bilingual affirmations, community gatherings and accessible wellness resources. - Contigo Wellness says the project is designed to reduce mental health stigma and create visible spaces of care. - The mural is being unveiled during back-to-school season to highlight student and family mental health. - The event will bring together students, families, educators, artists, mental health advocates, immigrant-serving organizations, community partners and Pilsen residents. - The mural’s message is intended to tell students and families that their mental health, stories and culture matter. - Pilsen was chosen in part because the neighborhood has a long history of Mexican, Latino, immigrant and working-class communities using murals to preserve culture and make social issues visible. - Fab RP is originally from Mexico City and is now based in Chicago. - Fab RP’s work blends Mexican culture, urban aesthetics and contemporary design, with a focus on accessibility, cultural identity, visual storytelling and collaboration.

Between the lines: - Back-to-school season can intensify stress for young people and families, including anxiety, grief, financial pressure, bullying and the effects of community or racial violence. - Immigrant communities may also be carrying fear tied to discrimination, family separation, community violence and uncertainty about safety and belonging. - The mural treats healing as communal, not just individual, which reflects a broader shift toward community-based mental health advocacy. - Diana Anzaldúa, founder and executive director of Contigo Wellness, said mental health support is too often expected behind closed doors after people are already struggling. - Anzaldúa said the mural is meant to meet a young person, parent or immigrant family in public space with a reminder that they are seen, valued and worthy of care. - Anzaldúa is a clinical social worker, trauma therapist and community mental health advocate focused on culturally responsive and trauma-informed support for historically marginalized communities. - Her work includes support for families experiencing traumatic bereavement after gun and racial violence, including collaborations with the Bakari Foundation and Austin Trauma Therapy Center. - Anzaldúa said trauma often moves through families and communities, and healing must also be relational and communal.

What's next: - Contigo Wellness will host the mural reveal and back-to-school mental health advocacy event on Aug. 22. - The organization will continue building the Tú Importas Healing Hubs initiative through public art and wellness programming. - Contigo Wellness says the broader mission is to create “Healed communities for all people everywhere.”

The bottom line: - The Chicago mural is both an art installation and a public mental health intervention, aimed at making care, belonging and cultural affirmation harder to miss in Pilsen and beyond. - More information is available through Contigo Wellness, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.