Sculptor, painter, printmaker, & photographer, Eduardo Oropeza remains a commanding presence in contemporary art. He applied a high level of devotion and integrity to his artwork. After the many years he had been working at his chosen profession, he saw being an artist as a tremendous gift, which honored and humbled him. A native of California's San Joaquin Valley and long time resident of East Los Angeles, Oropeza's academic training began with the study of Sociology. After taking an art course, he ultimately changed majors and received a Master of Fine Arts degree in sculpture from San Jose State. Post graduate work followed at San Jose, San Diego State at Long Beach and Palomar College. Oropeza's contribution to public art in Los Angeles can be seen in a ceramic mosaic covering the 2 story Self Help Graphics Workshop building located at Ceasar Chavez and Gage streets in East Los Angeles. Oropeza donated his time and artistic talent to complete this multi-year project. The second phase of this project was the creation of a Virgin of Guadalupe shrine, shown here, for the community.