Jardín de las Artes Gráficas / Casa de Cultura Othón Salazar Ramírez

The Jardín de las Artes Gráficas is at the center of southern Colonia Doctores. It’s roughly equidistant between Metro Hospital General to the west, and Metro Obrera to the east. Also known as Parque Artes Graficas, the little park hosts the equally, and perhaps more famous, Casa de Cultura Othón Salazar Ramírez. The house of culture occupies a few small buildings in the park. But activities are so well attended that many of them end up in other areas of the park and surrounding gardens.

The cultural center name honors the union leader and activist, Othón Salazar.

• Othón Salazar Ramírez (1924–2008) was a teacher, and revolutionary trade unionist. Raised a Catholic in Alcozauca, Guerrero, his time in the church there gave him a strong oratory skill and mission. He attended Normal Schools in Oaxtepec and Ayotzinapa before arriving at the National School of Teachers. There he rose in the ranks to leadership positions within the teachers’ union. In 1958, Mexico City teachers elected Othón as their representative. Arrested, he was mistreated and subjected to violent interrogations but continued to be influential in every contract signed thereafter. He continued the struggle through his death at age 84.

The Jardín de las Artes Gráficas originated as Parque de las cinco fuentes. This was in about 1950 when its five famous fountains were relocated here from the Zócalo. For that, it was also known as “el Zocalito,” i.e.; the Little Zócalo. In fact, the land used for the park was an old trolley switchyard. Some of that history is recalled in the Estacion Indianilla cultural center to the north. Even more is in the Electric Transport Museum further south on the Calzada de Tlalpan.

But the park’s most visible monument is, in fact, not a monument at all. About a fifth of the park, in its southwest quadrant, is dedicated to part of the City’s deep drainage system. 16 interconnected drain tunnels prevent flooding across greater Mexico City. One of them begins here within a fenced area. Workers on the project are memorialized in the Drainage Workers Monument in the City’s north.