Chicano Humanities and Arts Council (CHAC) in partnership with Transforming Creatives, present- Denver Muralists and Street Artists, Their Legacy, Part II of Generations An Intergenerational Art Show Opening Reception.
Highlighting the rich intergenerational connections in the Chicana/o Art community. By partnering elders with fellow up and coming artists, this unique exhibition will explore how experiences of the past helped nurture the future generation.
Denver Muralists and Street Artists, Their Legacy
Celebrating Denver’s deep and powerful history of Chicano Murals. Join pioneer muralist Emanuel Martinez and graffiti muralist innovator Jher451, as we address how murals were birthed in Denver and where they have arrived today. This exhibit will also feature father and son muralists Jerry and Jay Jaramillo and more CHAC artists.
Born in Denver, Colorado in 1947, Emanuel Martinez began his art career at the age of thirteen. He painted his first mural in a juvenile facility where he was incarcerated. In his later teens and early twenties, he pioneered Colorado’s contemporary mural movement and worked as a community activist and artist in the National Chicano Civil Rights Movement. During the movement he worked with Cesar Chavez in California, Corky Gonzales in Colorado and Reyes Lopez Tijerina in New Mexico. Throughout his career, Martinez has worked as a muralist, painter and sculptor, receiving international acclaim and prestigious awards for his design capabilities.
Jher 451 has played a significant role in the underground art scene in Denver since the early 90’s. His work has been featured in many magazines and several books over the years, and has been noted as a significant influence by many artists in the street art scene. His artwork varies by medium, specializing in murals, body painting, tattooing, lowbrow and fine art, even music production. He started tattooing in 1999 and has also been hailed as one of Denver’s best tattooists as well. Jher 451 is an owner of Landmark Tattoo in Capitol Hill, which opened in 2011. He has continually been involved in countless local group shows and national shows, several solo exhibitions; National and International tattoo conventions, countless live painting performances, many cultural events, charities, fundraisers, benefits, and even youth art programs.
Jay Michael Jaramillo has been an artist all his life; learning from his father. Jay explores many styles of painting to create his own style, this includes; traditional portrait painting, cubism, surrealism and street art to reflect his contemporaries. He receives most of his inspiration from the beauty of life in all shapes and forms while also seeking to display the cosmic energies on Earth and in the cosmos.
Jerry Jaramillo creates his murals with flowing lines to make a definite organic feeling. These are natural illusions which are particularly apparent in works of stone, yet evident in all the media he chooses for each project. He prefers to aspire toward a sense of the future while subtly appearing to the senses that the source of all inspiration comes from the Earth. Jerry’s murals are found all throughout the metro Denver area and Southwest United States and Florida. http://jerryjaramillo.net/about.html
Mural by JHER 451
For more info visit: https://www.chacgallery.org/events