Claudia Brittenham, an art history professor at the University of Chicago who specializes in Mesoamerican murals, said Mendoza’s platform mural is an accurate interpretation of the original Aztec sunstone in Mexico. It’s considered to be the first Chicano mural in the country, according to Moreno.ĭr. Outdoor murals became popular in Mexican American communities as an expression of Mexican American identity, inspired by both Mexican frescoes and Works Progress Administration (WPA) murals.įor example, in 1968, Mario Castillo, the son of an art teacher, painted Peace (also known as Metafísica) at Halsted and Cullerton. Moreno said Chicago’s movement was led by mothers who fought for better education for their kids and the creation of a new high school - the Benito Juarez Community Academy High School. The 1960s and ’70s movement advocated for Mexican American labor and education rights. Cesáreo Moreno, the visual arts director at the National Museum of Mexican Art, said the Chicano movement inspired a lot of the murals in the Pilsen neighborhood, including the ones at the 18th Street station. A tradition of community mural paintingĬommunity mural painting relies on collective expression. Curious City dug into the history behind the murals and talked with Valadez about his friendship with Mendoza and how he plans to honor the artist’s legacy in the restoration. The CTA has not finalized the timeline for the restoration, but Valadez said he anticipates it will begin later this spring. It’s faded and chipped now, but the CTA has tapped artist Robert Valadez to restore it. One of the most iconic murals is an image of the Aztec sun and moon stones, located on the east side of the station, painted by Mendoza and his students between 19. The station murals date back to the 1990s, when Chicago artist Francisco Mendoza first led a classroom of students to paint the corridors and platforms, sponsored by the National Museum of Mexican Art.
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