Jerry Jaramillo

Local and regional Muralist and Sculptor Jerry Jaramillo, of Northglenn, has been a significant influence on Denver-area Latino artists since 1978, when he was one of the original founding members of the Chicano Humanities and Arts Council (CHAC). As a muralist, Jaramillo figured significantly in the late sixties/early seventies muralist movement in Denver; his works can be found inside the La Familia Recreation Center in Denver (part of the original CHAC “City Walls” project) and North Elementary School in Brighton, and on the exterior walls of buildings at 44th and Mariposa and 41st and Tejon Street (Servicios de la Raza) in Denver. Most recently, Jaramillo’s sculptures in marble, alabaster, wood, and various other materials are also on public display in and around the cities of Denver and Brighton, including the piece “Aquarius”, on display at Brighton City Hall. Says Jaramillo: "The materials I choose to work with inspire me to shapes where sensual, flowing lines create a definite organic feeling in the finished work. These are natural illusions which are particularly apparent in works of stone, yet are evident in all the media I choose for each project. Although some have said my sculptures create an ambience of natural erosion by wind and water, I prefer to aspire toward a sense of the future while subtly appearing to the senses that the source of all inspiration comes from the Earth.”

Ernest Gallegos

Originally from Las Vegas, New Mexico, Ernest Gallegos moved to Brighton as a child. Primarily a pastel artist but also classically trained in other mediums, Gallegos studied at the New York Art Student’s League in New York City, where his instructors included nationally known artists David Lefell and Daniel Greene (considered by Encyclopedia Brittanica to be the foremost pastel artist in the United States.) Several pieces currently on display in the Armory show the influence of Leffel and the Dutch Masters, including the use of chiaroscuro--the theatrics of light and shadow to achieve a sense of volume in modeling three-dimensional objects in still life and portraiture. Ernest later studied in Colorado with nationally-known artist Ramon Kelley, pastellist and watercolorist. Known for his versatility, Ernest’s work liberates the soul and warmth of the people, places, and things he paints. His work captures the essence of a place you’ve kept hidden in your heart or the warm, soft light in a landscape making you wish you were there. “The whole process of painting and deciding the direction or pressure of each stroke, choosing one pastel hue from a myriad of colors, each small choice creates this magical thing I love called painting.”

Jerry Vigil

Local, national, and international artist Jerry Vigil, creates Santos and Muertos art as a statement of culture. The two styles, both set within a known and sometimes rigid formula, are at opposite ends of a cultural spectrum. Vigil’s creative process contemporizes the styles by incorporating modern materials and design. A past Board Member of CHAC and the South Westminster Arts Group, and a current member of the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture, Vigil provides the Armory display with an interesting contrast to the very traditional works of Gallegos and, to a lesser extent, Jaramillo.

Al Sanchez

Muralist Al Sanchez is another CHAC founding member and participant in the original CHAC “City Walls” project with Jerry Jaramillo (Sanchez’ mural was installed at the original Lincoln Projects in Downtown Denver.) The acrylic pieces currently on display in the Armory reflect the history and the colorful personalities involved in the growth of CHAC and the Denver Latino art scene over the years. His “I AM CHAC” piece features over 50 of these distinctive personalities, each with a story and a style that helped to build the Denver Latino art scene.