Buildings are his canvases
by Rachel Hamilton on Aug. 14, 2007, under LocalPainter Mena’s latest works honor warriors
A Luis Mena mural downtown at Hotel Arizona on Congress Street
Anyone who has eaten in a restaurant on North Grande Avenue, stayed in a hotel downtown or just driven down South 12th Avenue has seen Luis Mena’s murals.
His gallery is the walls of local businesses, restaurants, car washes and, most recently, the side of Miller’s Surplus, a military supply store.
The Miller’s mural fits the theme of his latest collection, an ode to American Indian and Hispanic soldiers who have fought and died in the many wars of the Americas, from pre-Columbian conflicts to the war in Iraq. He hopes his war series will shed light on the sometimes forgotten heroes.
“Chicanos and Native Americans have always been there,” Mena said. “Everyone thinks it’s just been Anglos who have participated. You have to give them all respect because they fight for our freedom, no matter what ethnic background they’re from.”
The first mural in the war series, at 1537 S. Craycroft Road, is Mena’s representation of the flag raising at Iwo Jima during World War II. The stripes from the waving flag morph into the wings of a bald eagle, which Mena said represents our freedom as Americans.
Finishing the 1,000-square-foot mural took Mena about three weeks, and he is pleased with the way it turned out, saying that he strives for excellence.
Although this mural is not about the war in Iraq, Mena thinks of it as a tribute to all the Latinos who have died there.
Some of the other pieces that he hopes to add to this collection will be done on mural-sized canvases, the smallest about 4 feet by 6 feet, which he hopes will be displayed in local galleries.
Mena has done smaller works, but said he has always been drawn to muralism because of the way murals connect to people on the street.
Since the 1970s, Mena has brought his visions to the South Side to “do something monumental that will educate people and help them to remember,” he said.
“Muralism is a manifestation of the mind and the divine spirit,” he said. “It’s what comes out of our minds. It’s an expression of our souls.”
Many of his older works have been painted over, but the remaining murals can be viewed at several locations around town. Some focus on the plight of Hispanics and native peoples, others are cultural statements.
Luis Mena's mural of Christopher Columbus at MATZ Truck Accessories, 4535 S. 12th Ave.
Luis Mena shows off his newest mural, on the side of Miller's Surplus, at Craycroft Road and 22nd Street. He created it to honor all the soldiers who have died in Iraq.
Another of Mena's murals, on South 12th Avenue across from Pueblo High School
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MENA’S MURALS
• 4535 S. 12th Ave., in the MATZ Truck Accessories store parking lot
• 4600 block of South 12th Avenue and Ohio Street, on the side of Desert Suds Car Wash
• 3477 S. 12th Ave., on the side of All About Hair
• 610 N. Grande Ave., inside El Sabroso Oakwood Grille
• 181 W. Broadway, in front of Hotel Arizona
• 1537 S. Craycroft Road, on the side of Miller’s Surplus
