Héctor Duarte is a muralist, and multimedia artist. His work explores many themes relating to immigrant and Latino experiences, but is highly dedicated to his study and craft of murals because of their direct communication with the public. Duarte has been central to the museum’s founding and mission. The first ever Day of the Dead in 1986 centralized Duarte’s paintings. His work was also included in the 1987 exhibition Barrio Murals and can be seen throughout the Pilsen neighborhood and the Chicagoland area.