New mural to be painted at History Colorado-inspired Center

A new History Colorado initiative — “We Are Colorado!” — will embrace the gathering and sharing of stories that celebrate the diverse communities of Colorado both past and present.

The first “We Are Colorado!” activity will feature “Self-Preservation,” a mural by local artist Anthony Garcia Sr. Garcia creates imaginative works on canvas, as well as mixed media, silk screening and urban art installations.

In celebration of Colorado’s long history of murals, Garcia’s painting inside the History Colorado Center will be inspired by the sarape, the colorful, blanketlike shawl worn traditionally in Mexico. Using culturally and artistically relevant and vibrant sarape colors and designs, “Self-Preservation” will represent the ways different cultures can work together to form a community. Garcia will paint his mural on site from July 9-20 at the History Colorado Center. Museum visitors are invited to watch the process and enjoy the artwork as it develops.

In the fall, History Colorado will begin an oral history collection project in the Globeville/Elyria-Swansea neighborhoods.. By partnering with Garcia, who is from Globeville, History Colorado aims to incorporate community art as a way of highlighting the rich history of that Denver neighborhood.

Garcia also is director of BirdSeed Collective, a nonprofit organization that encourages local youth artists to showcase their talents by joining an art collective that promotes urban art and self-sufficiency through art workmanship.