Longtime Colorado collaborators reunite to champion Chicano murals

Longtime friends and collaborators for public art Emanuel Martinez and Jeff Shoemaker reunited on CBS Colorado Mornings to discuss efforts to preserve the mural "Urban Dope, Rural Hope," as well as other murals around the state.  The Greenway Foundation backed the creation of the original "Urban Dope" mural in 1977 and now is championing its restoration.  Jeff Shoemaker's father Joe led the philanthropic effort in the 1970s and today Jeff is carrying on that legacy.

Earlier this year the National Trust for Historic Preservation declared that Colorado's Chicano murals were important historical monuments and included them in its Eleven Most Endangered Places list. It said that losing the murals meant the significant contributions of Chicanos and Mexican Americans to Colorado were at risk of being erased.

"My family has had the gift of knowing Emanuel Martinez for close to 5 decades.   His mid-1970's mural - Urban Dope/Rural Hope - was the very first mural placed on a building or wall along the then fledging South Platte River Greenway," Shoemaker said.

One of the first projects along Denver's 10 miles of the South Platte River was at Weir Gulch Park, adjacent to the then Sun Valley Transitional Housing Project by DHA.  

Since then, TGF has enjoyed numerous other collaborative mural projects with Martinez, the keystone project being Confluent People, located along Little Raven St. under the Speer Blvd. overpass - on both walls.  

"Manny is the consummate gentlemen, artist and a true community leader.   Each of his projects engages nearby Denver youth in that project's creation thus binding the adjacent community to the mural and its continued care and protection.   Martinez said, "The community was engaged in the whole entire process of the mural from the concept to painting. We had children from the (Sun Valley) housing projects which was just directly across the street from the mural at the time."

Shoemaker added, "I am thrilled that the incredible sadness involved with the loss of Urban Dope/Rural Hope will soon be yesterday's sadness as its "rebirth" begins to take place.   The Shoemaker family and everyone at The Greenway Foundation look forward to many more collaborative successes with the Martinez family."