10 SEPTEMBER 5-11, 2024 westword.com WESTWORD | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | country.” Land acknowledgements are for- mal verbal statements that recognize the historical facts regarding European settlers wresting land from the Indigenous, often violently. SeeWalker’s mural was originally going to be funded by the city, but in light of its stance, she requested to be supported by a different entity. The artist, who has also served on the Denver American Indian Com- mission since 2019, says that the acknowl- edgement brouhaha raises signifi cant issues. “It’s really exciting to create another [mu- ral] and have that representation of Native, Indigenous art in Aurora,” she says, “[but] they should be creating opportunities for Native people. ... I’m trying to get a meeting with city council to discuss their issues with [acknowl- edgment]. I’m taking up space as an artist in the city of Aurora, and I’m really happy about that, but there’s still a lot of work to be done when it comes to recognizing diversity in that town.” To be sure, the joyful, diverse mural fes- tival contrasts with other Aurora headlines, such as the revolving door of police chiefs running a department internationally re- viled for its role in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain. Vega is the fi rst to admit that the city is a large, complex place with many stakeholders, and is quick to defend the work of city government offi cials trying to push things forward. “Aurora is massive,” he says. “I don’t think people realize how much square footage Au- rora covers, the diversity of Aurora. ... It’s a fascinating place with a lot of dynamics. So there’s a lot of push and pull, and our political climate right now is what it is, and so I think there’s a lot of folks that are working really hard to make sure that people are seen and heard.” For Vega, the goal is to bring joy through art for regular people going about their lives on East Colfax. He relates a story of a young girl with her mother noticing the Spanish text incorporated into a Charlo mural (in this case, the native language of both artist and specta- tor). “She couldn’t have been more than six years old, and her eyes just lit up, because she could read, in her own language, something that was going into a beautiful piece of art that was outside of her doorstep,” he says. In that moment, it became clear to him how important it was for the people of Au- rora to beautify their city. “It’s been fun to watch the neighborhood and the businesses embrace it. The residents embraced it from day one,” he attests. These days, small-busi- ness owners hunt him down, clamoring for a mural, and when he cold-calls them to gauge interest, all he has to do to prove his credentials is step outside and point. Vega says the art proves to all visitors that “people do care.” “We live here. We love this place. We don’t want to see it turn into a giant multi-million condo unit and strip malls. We want to keep its character,” he concludes. “If we can keep some of the fl avor, if we can help represent the community through the artists and the art, then we’re doing our job.” Colfax Canvas Mural Festival, noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, September 14, Fletcher Plaza, 9800 East Colfax Avenue, Aurora, free, colfaxcanvas.com. Culture continued from page 8 Call Elaine Lustig, PhD .......................................................... at 303-369-7770 Needing Your Emotional ....... Animal W/ You? For eligible people who need their emotional support animal to accompany them at/or away from home, I am available to provide the documentation and counseling. CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED
