5280
Denver Muralist Charlo Is On a Mission To Spread Joy
The local artist and Mexico native is sparking neighborhood connections with his garage mural project, Make Alleys Great Again.
By Madi Skahill
July 21, 2021
Whether you’re admiring one of Charlo Garcia Walterbach’s elaborate and whimsical murals around Denver, or simply listening to the artist, who goes by “Charlo,” speak, one word always seems to emerge: “joy.”
“There’s a component of joy that is contagious,” he says. “I feel like it’s my duty to make sure I’m not stopping that.”
If you’ve had the chance to experience one of the dozens of playful paintings from the Monterrey, Mexico native that have cropped up around the Mile High City in that time, it’s a role he certainly seems well suited for. In his characteristic style, the monochromatic murals showcase complex, interwoven geometric designs, with unique hidden phrases and symbols sprinkled in for viewers to find, sort of like a treasure hunt. Messages related to home, gratitude, and (you guessed it) joy are common threads, along with similar equivalents in Spanish like