Before ever dabbling in their own Fiesta medal designs, San Antonio natives Albert and Natasha Gonzales were longtime collectors of the commemorative coins and wearable art pieces that have been a Fiesta tradition since King Antonio passed out his first coin in 1946.
They added to their collection in 2017 with a few medals they designed just for fun. Those medals caught the eye of businesses and individuals alike and requests for custom medals started pouring in faster than margaritas at NIOSA.
“It was just a hobby for us,” says Albert. That hobby turned into an official business, Mira Medals, and just over three years later, the couple now counts IKEA, Luby’s and several city officials among their clients. Even though Fiesta was postponed until June this year, the Gonzaleses have been busy with 2021 orders for months (and are still accepting more). A self-taught digital designer, Albert says they enjoy collaborating with clients to come up with original work that reflects their organization or mission. “It’s almost like giving out a business card so you want to make sure that it is on brand and conveys the message you want, while still being fun,” he says.
That “fun” element is usually found in pop culture (think Baby Yoda) or festive themes that Albert says emerge every year as they talk with clients. This year’s trending theme? “We are getting a lot of design requests for mascots wearing face masks,” he says.
One of his favorite designs was a medal he created not for a large company or public figure, but for his own 12-year-old son, who has “high-functioning autism” and was Fiesta Especial king in 2020. Through sales of the medals, lemonade and cupcakes, he raised $5,700 for Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children, to win the title. “He was obsessed with Godzilla, so we designed his king medal around that theme,” Albert says. They even collaborated with Godzilla comic book artist Matt Frank on the design.
After last year, Albert and Natasha, who is a full-time nurse and manages Mira Medals’ marketing and social media, are hopeful Fiesta will come back stronger than ever, regardless of how different celebrations may look. “People don’t realize what an important event it is because it generates funds that go back into our city and into our economy,” Albert says, adding that their company also donates a portion of its annual profits to charity. “At the end of the day, it is so much more than just a party.”
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