WINSLOW — A Winslow artist is combining an appreciation of tradition with the digital world in a style of art that is gaining him a lot of attention.
Julian Chavez has been commissioned by the Winslow Unified School District to paint the boarded windows of the former high school, located at the corner of Cherry Street and Apache Avenue. The building, which was built in 1929, has not been used since 2003 and provides the perfect backdrop for this mix of old and new.
WUSD Superintendent Cyndie Mattox spoke to him about the project and now Chavez is set to begin the project this week with a fresh take on culture in his community, “Different teens, different races, different styles. The way I look at life is, we are all supposed to get along as one, especially in school, we are all here to learn and we are all here to work together and be together.”
Mattox shared her opinion of the project. “We want to breathe life into a structure that holds so many memories for all of us. Winslow has a lot of energy right now with the arts community and we want to keep that momentum flowing,” said Mattox.
Chavez got the attention of Mattox and other community members after he completed a mural on the east facing wall of the Bojo’s Grill & Sports Club, located at 117 W. Second St. “It was my first mural and my first time using spray cans,” Chavez said. In talks with Bojo’s owner John Jacobs, Chavez said, “I wanted to show young kids, that I appreciate their beliefs and traditions and bring it in to 2018. With everything going on in the world, I feel like we need to show unity and that we are all humans.”
Chavez has only been creating his pieces for two months. “I used to draw these characters as a kid, but I never thought it would go anywhere.” He was injured in a basketball game a few months ago and he knew it was time to begin pursuit of career in art. “I wanted to find something that I enjoyed and that I could make a living doing. While I was hurt, I messaged Linda Card and asked if I could show her some of my pieces.”
Card, the owner of Gemini Gallery in Winslow, was immediately receptive to Chavez’s art. She booked him for a gallery show less than a month later. During that show, Chavez said, “I sold a few pieces and a lot of people reacted to my stuff, I had a lot of great feedback.”
His medium is digital art and Chavez draws each piece on his iPad and creates prints to sell. “I can print on anything, tee shirts, coffee mugs, I also paint on canvas or walls.”
Chavez said that his goal is to make art his day job and to always remain humble. “I owe a lot to my family, my uncle mostly for giving me feedback and criticism that I need. I respect him a lot.” He added, “I want people to know my name, but I want to put positive vibes in to the world. I also want to show people, like my step-son, Alec, that if you put your mind to something, you can do it.”
