Photos and Story by Ashton Brown
At the southwest corner of 10th Ave. and Santa Fe Dr., in the heart of the Santa Fe Art District, is a mural commemorating the life of local Aztec dance leader Raul Chavez Portillo, who passed away in May at the age of 70.
The mural is the creation of father and son Jerry and Jay Jaramillo, in recognition of Chavez’s legacy. In 1992, Chavez founded his dance group Huitzilopochtli which he named for the Aztec god of sun and war, as a way to celebrate the Aztec culture and create greater awareness of its customs.
Over several decades, Huitzilopochtli performed frequently on the Auraria Campus. While he was a student at Metropolitan State University, Jay Jaramillo was a regular audience member of these performances. During this period, Chavez spent a lot of time with the Jaramillos and became like family to them.
Jerry and Jay Jaramillo titled their mural, “Tlaloc,” after the supreme Aztec god of thunder and lightning. In the painting, Chavez is depicted as Tlaloc, surrounded by several Aztec symbols. Just above Chavez’s head is a roaring jaguar, a symbol of power. In the painting, the jaguar is emitting lightning bolts from its open mouth. The feathered serpent in the mural is a symbol of knowledge and is often seen in Aztec and Mayan art. The feathers also represent Chavez being in the “spirit realm,” meaning he now has feathers in the afterlife. The empty space below Chavez’s head is intentional, to represent his soul in the cosmos.
Jay Jaramillo said he applied for a permit to create this particular mural because that section of Santa Fe Drive has been like a home to him. Jerry Jaramillo, a renowned artist, jeweler, and sculptor, owned an art gallery in the district, and his art shows and exhibits frequently included Jay’s paintings. Since then, the neighborhood has changed significantly.
“We really had a home going on here, but we’ve been kind of displaced like a lot of people in Denver,” said Jay.
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