Chicano Park Murals Muralist Salvador Roberto “Queso” Torres proposed to beautify the massive concrete pylons of the Coronado Bridge that linked Barrio Logan and Coronado. He suggested turning them into “towering displays of murals expressing the spirit of the Mexican Mural Movement.” The first murals were painted in 1973 after the community took control of the land in 1970 to develop a park under the Coronado Bridge. Torres’ vision of a landscape of culturally relevant art began to take shape at Chicano Park. It would become the largest collection of public outdoor murals in the United States. Muralists from throughout the state, such as the Royal Chicano Air Force from Sacramento, were invited to add to the artwork. The murals covered the pylons with impressive, inspirational, and educational images that by the end of the ‘70s came to represent the “heart and soul of Chicano culture” in San Diego.
Several founding Chicano Park muralists Left to Right: Jesus Cervantes, Victor Ochoa, Salvador Torres, Mario Torero, Abram Quevedo and Tomas Castaneda. (Photo courtesy Mario Torero)
Cuauhtemoc Aztec Warrior by Felipe Adame (Photo courtesy Latino Legacy Foundation)
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San Diego Latino Legacy – Timeline • Milestones • Stories
Chapter 5 – The Chicano Cultural Renaissance
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