After a controversial mural earlier this school year, a second mural has been added to the stage in the main quad of Hillview Middle School. Titled La Belleza De La Vida, the mural was painted by Denver artist Charlo, who is represented by the Themes+Projects art gallery in the Bay Area. The artwork has received mostly positive reactions from students and staff, many of whom believe it reflects the school community and inspires connection.
Students submitted ideas for symbols that Charlo later incorporated into the mural. “It reflects our community because the artist included an interactive element—students contributed ideas that became part of the mural,” Hillview teacher Chloe Hotwani said.
Many students said they prefer this mural to the previous one because of its more complicated art style as well as its connection to the Hillview community. “It shows the diversity, and it looks like a lot more work was put in,” seventh grader Angelo Antoinellis said. “[The other mural] was just a bunch of lines, [and] different colors. This is a bunch of different shapes.”
“I like the second one better,” eighth grader Olivia Azagury Maratchi said. “I think the first one was very colorful, and it definitely helped you see it, but I like the second one.”
Only a few students preferred the vibrant colors and abstract style of the first mural. “I don’t really like [this mural] that much,” seventh grader Myla Reece-Nguyen said. “I think it’s got symbolism and stuff with words, but I feel like some of the school doesn’t like it.”
Charlo explained that community involvement is central to his work. “The way I see my art, or myself as an artist, is [that] I’m kind of a translator. So what I do is I take input from the people around me when I’m working on a mural, and then I translate that input into actual marks on the wall that become art,” he said.
“It looks like a bunch of graffiti symbols on the wall, and it’s all symbols that the students from Hillview all picked out,” seventh grader Teo Horton said. “I think it looks really cool.”
The mural features a navy blue background covered in white and yellow symbols picked by the students and sketched by the artist. “They’re telling me words to include, and in that moment, I included the word cookie, which I thought was really funny, but it makes it super special, because it just makes you giggle, right?” Charlo said.
“It’s literally a manifestation of what the school is through the voices from the students and the teachers and the principal and everyone, really,” Charlo said.
“I like it. I love artwork that plays creatively with lines,” Hotwani said. “This piece feels unique compared to other murals I’ve seen.”
Overall, the newest mural has brought a different artistic style to campus while emphasizing collaboration and representation. Through student input and personal symbolism, La Belleza De La Vida has become a popular staple of the Hillview community.
