Octavio Medellín was a Mexican-American sculptor and artist, most commonly known for his Mexican-influenced artwork in Texas. Medellín believed that “sincere art must be elemental and close to the earth, ” and he strove to create art influenced by “the common people and everyday life, ” not “politics” or “sophisticated ideas.” Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, Medellín's work consisted of various paintings and sculptures that are now in an exhibition and digital library in Southern Methodist University's Bywaters Special Collections.