Chicano Muralist on Display at SAC's Art Gallery

By Nashe Harley

The work of artist Carlos Callejo, including one of his completed murals, is now showing in the exhibit From Paper to Wall – Conception, Formation and Construction in the Santa Ana College Main Gallery.

After moving to El Paso, Texas, and starting a career as a muralist, Callejo began traveling and creating murals throughout the country. One was painted for the Smithsonian Institution’s Festival of American Folk Life.

“I think that a lot of people in this college will be able to understand and appreciate his work,” Art Gallery Director Phillip Marquez said.

The exhibition features some of Callejo’s sketches, among them a few never seen before, and a mural that he is working on during the exhibit.

Callejo plans to donate the mural to SAC in honor of its centennial anniversary.

“It’s not just an exhibition on murals, or his murals, but rather his process,” Marquez said.

Callejo was active in the Chicano Movement in Southern California during the 1970s. He uses his life experiences to create a Chicano-style art that is both expressive and educational.

By walking through the gallery, a visitor can get a glimpse of the research and planning that goes into creating a mural, a process that takes time and dedication, Marquez said.

The show opens tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. and runs through April 8. The Gallery is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Wednesday from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.