Paying homage to Raul Chavez Portillo
Father and son team’s symbolic mural memorializes local Aztec dancer
“Tlaloc,” the mural painted by Jerry Jaramillo and his son Jay, pays homage to the legacy of Raul Chavez Portillo. Credit: Ashton Brown
Photos and Story by Ashton Brown
At the southwest corner of 10th Ave. and Santa Fe Dr., in the heart of the Santa Fe Art District, is a mural commemorating the life of local Aztec dance leader Raul Chavez Portillo, who passed away in May at the age of 70.
The mural is the creation of father and son Jerry and Jay Jaramillo, in recognition of Chavez’s legacy. In 1992, Chavez founded his dance group Huitzilopochtli which he named for the Aztec god of sun and war, as a way to celebrate the Aztec culture and create greater awareness of its customs.
Over several decades, Huitzilopochtli performed frequently on the Auraria Campus. While he was a student at Metropolitan State University, Jay Jaramillo was a regular audience member of these performances. During this period, Chavez spent a lot of time with the Jaramillos and became like family to them.
Jerry and Jay Jaramillo titled their mural, “Tlaloc,” after the supreme Aztec god of thunder and lightning. In the painting, Chavez is depicted as Tlaloc, surrounded by several Aztec symbols. Just above Chavez’s head is a roaring jaguar, a symbol of power. In the painting, the jaguar is emitting lightning bolts from its open mouth. The feathered serpent in the mural is a symbol of knowledge and is often seen in Aztec and Mayan art. The feathers also represent Chavez being in the “spirit realm,” meaning he now has feathers in the afterlife. The empty space below Chavez’s head is intentional, to represent his soul in the cosmos.
Jay Jaramillo said he applied for a permit to create this particular mural because that section of Santa Fe Drive has been like a home to him. Jerry Jaramillo, a renowned artist, jeweler, and sculptor, owned an art gallery in the district, and his art shows and exhibits frequently included Jay’s paintings. Since then, the neighborhood has changed significantly.
“We really had a home going on here, but we’ve been kind of displaced like a lot of people in Denver,” said Jay.
Jerry Jaramillo, left and Jay Jaramillo, right stand next to their mural “Tlaloc,” which is painted on the utility box at the southwest corner of 10th Ave. and Santa Fe Dr. Credit: Ashton Brown
Painting the mural gave Jay and his father an opportunity to interact with their old community. The Jaramillos believe “Tlaloc” brings honor to the Aztec and Mexican cultures and hope the mural will “preserve the culture of the community,” while also honoring Chavez’s life.
What makes “Tlaloc” especially significant is that it reflects the Aztec culture without any reference to European influences. It is purely Aztec art.
According to the Jaramillos, “Tlaloc” is ultimately about healing for Chavez’s family and the community he inspired so much. “Raul’s family lives not too far from here, and his daughter drove by here the other day so they could have some healing too, I feel like he passed away a little too young,” said Jay.
The mural itself is a bit of a time capsule. States that used to be Mexico such as Colorado, Utah, and Arizona, were called Aztlan, the Aztec capital, which is also referred to as “the land toward the north.” This Aztec influence is still present in these landscapes, including towns and cities throughout Colorado. By creating this memorial of Chavez in the Santa Fe Art District Jay Jaramillo says it’s a way of “going back in time,” and showcasing that Aztec influence on modern-day life.
With the mural, Jay Jaramillo believes it will ensure Chavez’s legacy lives on. “Sometimes you lose the grandmother or the grandfather of the family. and the family culture falls apart, so we wanted for the people to see him—especially in the neighborhood where his family still lives,” he said..
Editor’s Note: This story first appeared in the September 2022 issue of the Denver VOICE