From controversy to collaboration
When two artists clashed over ownership of a mural in a Santa Fe park, there were feelings of betrayal — but now they may end up working together
When two artists clashed over ownership of a mural in a Santa Fe park, there were feelings of betrayal, but now they may end up working together.
Louis Montaño Park might be the most colorful green space in Santa Fe.
Crimson roses, a justice scale and Aztec serpents are painted on walls surrounding the grassy park, tucked away on Alto Street next to the Santa Fe River. In addition, an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe looks over the lot. Nearby are the words “Analco, Nuestro Barrio Querida … Aztlan!” “These are stories that are part of my culture, my heritage,” said Carlos Cervantes, a Santa Fe artist who first created the murals in the 1990s and launched a restoration project of the artwork in 2017.
For the past two years, Cervantes has worked with volunteers to complete the project. Yet one mural remains unfinished: A stretch of wall covered in bright orange paint and a loose outline depicting a kuautli ,or sacred eagle, in bright blue.
Some neighbors, who believed the
“I don’t mind somebody else coming in and helping me, but I don’t want somebody coming and putting whatever they want. I need to give input of what should be put there.” Artist Carlos Cervantes
“I can deal with Carlos getting upset and wanting to reclaim that area for himself.” Artist Mike 360
wall had been defaced or tagged, believed the six-foot facade was cause for concern. But in recent weeks, Cervantes and others have learned the work in progress belongs to an Albuquerque-based artist who goes by the name “Mike 360.”
Mike 360 said he created the original mural at the park’s entrance in the late 1990s and started redoing it this June. Due to health issues, he has not been able to add to the piece for several months.
The incomplete makeover has been a source of confusion for Cervantes. Although the mural beneath the tangerine hue belonged to Mike 360 for two decades, Cervantes said he first felt a sense of betrayal upon seeing the latest changes and started to paint a gray-blue layer over the kuautli.
But since connecting with Mike 360 in recent days, Cervantes has paused his project. Now, the two artists, who have more in common than they know, are planning to discuss collaborating in an effort to finish the work.
“That guy’s gonna come by, and we’re gonna sit down and talk and think about it,” Cervantes said.
Cervantes, 65, first learned to paint at the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Fe when he was about 10 years old. He made his first mural at his family’s compound in the 1970s — one of many Mayan-style artworks that surround his home, down the street from the park in a neighborhood once called Barrio Analco.
Though he’s created many large murals across Northern New Mexico, he said Louis Montaño Park is the most significant.
“I have my blood there. … It’s part of my family, my history,” he said.
This is why Mike 360’s electric orange doover came as a surprise to Cervantes and his neighbors.
“We were curious,” said Jennifer Nevarez, one of the neighborhood’s residents who helped with the restoration project, noting she passed Mike 360 and his family when they began the mural makeover this summer. “He had said that he was going to fix it up. … We weren’t sure what was going on and who was supposed to be doing what.”
Initial reviews weren’t all positive.
Cathi Haga said the new mural is “god-awful bright orange. … It’s real obnoxious.”
For his part, Mike 360 said it was never his intention to upset anyone or cause conflict. He simply wanted to redo an outdated mural in a park that is also meaningful to him.
“Something from 20 years ago kind of looks like garbage compared to what I’m doing now,” said the 44-year-old artist, describing the previous artwork as a fusion of a sunset and Maya glyph writing.
Though Mike 360 acknowledged he never had permission to paint on the wall — “public spaces belong to the public, and we have a right to go and communicate there” — he said he felt inspired by the area and wanted to “represent that neighborhood.”
Mike 360 said he first started tagging walls when he was 9, in Albuquerque. After dropping out of high school in the 1990s, his work became more complex. Around that time, he was introduced to Louis Montaño Park, which helped propel his creativity forward.
“It wasn’t just my passion for muralism ignited. … It was exploring my identity,” said Mike 360, who declined to give his full name and identifies as Greek-Apache-Mexican. He said the park is filled with stories of Chicano culture and “Old New Mexico’s” history.
Mike 360 said he was impressed with Cervantes’ depictions of the infamous State Penitentiary riot in 1980 and a self-portrait of Cervantes behind prison bars, where he has spent time.
Though Mike 360 said he has never been to prison and has a “very different story” than Cervantes, he said he feels art is meant to tell these difficult pieces of history.
“[Carlos] is expressing that even the most violent, terrible things — beauty can come out of that. … It’s important not to censor these images,” he said. “He’s refracting and reflecting what’s going on in his community.”
Mike 360, who has made murals across the country, said his wife, Dora Chavarria, will help him with the painting.
While he said collaborating with Cervantes would be an honor — “Carlos is a legend. … He’s taken his time and energy to bless this park.” — he said he understands if collaborating doesn’t work out.
“I can deal with Carlos getting upset and wanting to reclaim that area for himself,” Mike 360 said.
Perhaps the greatest barrier to a potential collaboration, the two men agreed, is their health.
Mike 360 said he has been suffering from blood clots related to repeated head injuries. Meanwhile, Cervantes still struggles with the aftermath of a near-fatal stroke that occurred four years ago and temporarily paralyzed the right side of his body.
Whatever happens, one thing is certain: Cervantes wants to maintain creative authority of the park.
“I don’t mind somebody else coming in and helping me, but I don’t want somebody coming and putting whatever they want,” he said. “I need to give input of what should be put there.”