Days after Pilsen residents were shocked to find Casa Aztlan‘s classic murals painted grey, the new developer, Andrew Ahitow of City Pads LLC, promised to reserve an exterior wall for a fresh mural designed by local residents, he said in an interview with HOY on Friday.
The destroyed artwork dated back to the Chicano Movement in the Midwest in the 1970s, and its erasure was a blow to long-standing residents of Mexican descent who are now struggling to keep their homes in Pilsen despite the rising cost of living, as they manifested during a vigil in front of “Casa Aztlan” this week at 1831 S. Racine.
Although the community center was lost to mismanagement in 2013 under the director, Carlos Arango, the added value of the property and developers ready to buy–both symptoms of gentrification–made the center more difficult to save, they said.
Still, its aesthetic was a monument to the Mexican and activist heritage in Chicago, now lost, they mourned.
The property will be turned into 10 market-rate rental apartments.
“We are in communication with the alderman’s office and having conversations with Pilsen Alliance,” Ahitow said. “We are looking to engage either the original artist or another local one.”
Alderman Solis said his office will set up a meeting with the developer next week to discuss the next steps.
“The Casa Aztlan mural was a reminder of where we come from, our culture and our traditions. I’m heartened to hear the owners are interested in working on a new mural with local artists,” Solis said.
Ray Patlan painted the first murals 47 years ago, and they were gradually redone and maintained by a host of muralists and youth, including distinguished artists Marcos Raya, Salvador Vega and Robert Valadez.
Patlan told the Tribune from his home in Oakland that he would be happy to lead a community effort to recreate the mural, if asked.
He recently lost another mural to development, “Reforma y Libertad” (1972), which he painted with teens from Casa Aztlan and which stood next to Juarez Academy in Pilsen since before the school was built; in January it was demolished to make way for Alulu brewery, 2011 S. Laflin.
The founding president of the National Museum of Mexican Art, Carlos Tortolero, lamented the destruction of the Casa Aztlan murals and said that painting over the building was like “whitewashing it with color,” he told the Chicago Tribune earlier.
Tortolero added that he would prefer for the original design of the mural to be kept.
Ahitow assured that the community will have the last word on the design of the new mural.
“It’s not for me, it’s for everyone,” he said.
Pilsen Alliance said that aside from restoring the mural, they hope the developer will “respect the mandate of 21% affordable housing units.” Ahitow said that only applies to properties that require rezoning, which was not the case for “Casa Aztlan”.
The non-profit organization will host a discussion called “Protecting Pilsen’s Identity” on June 27 at 6:30 pm at La Catrina Cafe.
