In July 2022, the Arvada Arts and Culture Commission (AACC) opened a call for entry seeking Colorado artists interested in completing a mural on a concrete retaining wall adjacent to the Allison Street US Post Office (5885 Allison St., Arvada, CO). After a competitive selection process that included 70 applicants, the AACC selected artist Marco Antonio Garcia to complete the new mural.
This mural project was proposed by an Arvada resident and is funded by the Arvada Arts and Culture Commission, a resident-led commission whose mission is to support, cultivate, and advocate for a variety of arts, culture, and heritage opportunities throughout our community.
About the mural 'La Letra'
Garcia's mural "La Letra" is about the important connections we maintain with loved ones who live far away.
"It's a story that tries to make us understand the sacrifices that we make to give our families a better life," Garcia says. "In this mural, I wanted to portray the letters that my mother would send to my grandparents in Guadalajara, (Mexico)."
Garcia is a self-taught artist who is rooted in his Mexican Culture and inspired by the detailed paintings of the Alebrije wooden mythical animals popularized in Mexico in the 70s and 80s. "La Letra" features human and animal elements in a bright, colorful Alebrije style.
All of the animals depicted in the mural are native to Colorado while the papel picado backdrop represents Garcia's native country of Mexico.
"Each of the animals represents a difference chapter that has made an impact on our lives, or a life lesson, or even a helping hand," Garcia says. "These chapters, life lessons, people, or even pets that have helped us along our way have left their mark on us.
"So the letter that arrives at the final destination will have those distinctive marks reminding us where we've been, and even where we are going, making it possible for our arrival.".
