Artist uses his brush to turn Surfside's pain into hope

A Dallas artist was turned away last month when he offered to help dig for survivors in the rubble of a collapsed condo tower near Miami

SURFSIDE, Fla. -- Roberto Marquez flew from Dallas to Miami nearly two weeks ago, hoping to add his hands to those digging through the rubble of a fallen South Florida condo building. But once there, the muralist was disappointed to hear that his help was appreciated but not needed. An epic search for victims was already underway by an army of first responders, initially for survivors and now for bodies. As of Friday, at least 79 people had been confirmed dead and dozens remained missing. Still, the 59-year-old artist felt compelled to contribute to the cause, something that might uplift the Surfside community amid so much anguish. That's when he decided he would use his art to help translate pain into hope and resilience. “What happened is a tragedy,” Marquez said Friday, as he brushed gray paint onto a canvass. “There is no way to get around this tragedy ... but one thing we can grab on, I say, is hope.”