Santa Fe Art District, Graffiti

The time is flying... Just yesterday we were still so young and could not believe we could meet 21 century. Year of 2000 was so far away and the future seemed so blurry blurry and smoky... And now, only a couple days later, we couldn't believe that we are living in 21 century, and have almost one fifth of it behind... Oh my... how the time is flying, how the things are changing over time...

 

What is it about, asking you? I am just in a philosophical mood, I guess... I was looking at the pictures of Santa Fe Drive I've taken a couple years ago and that made me think about the past and present, about changes that happened in this area over decades...

But let's start from the beginning... Santa Fe Dr area is one of the oldest districts of Denver. 93 percent of its residential blocks were half or more developed before 1900 and the remaining seven percent developed between 1900 and 1914. It grew as most Denver hubs did, with the gold rush, and especially the rise of the railroad. 

First known as "West Denver," the neighborhood was home to Denver's working class families. The threat of flooding in the area stigmatized the neighborhood as one for the lower class: no mansions here! Smelting, milling and brewing industries thrived along the South Platte River, and soon many immigrants called West Denver Home. At the turn of the century, many Mexicans arrived, fleeing the revolution of 1910. 

Many immigrants called this place their home over the years and this is no surprise here - all they needed was affordable living, the jobs nearby and some people next door, who can understand their language and give a hand if needed. The danger of flooding is nothing when you have your family and friends living nearby...

But 20s century moved on and everything was changing all the time. Slow, but unstoppable. West Denver becomes just Denver and almost downtown (this is only 20-30 minutes walk to downtown, actually). Factories moved out of the area. Some renovations touched the district, but it didn't change much.

The late 1950s saw a new era in urbanization throughout the nation, affecting living standards and precipitating cultural, political, and social changes.  The area to the north of La Alma-Lincoln Park, now known as the Auraria Higher Education Center (AHEC), was deemed “blighted” by the Denver Urban Renewal Authority (DURA) and other business organizations, and in 1966 was slated for redevelopment. By 1973, all the residents of the largely Latino community were forced to relocate, with many resettling in nearby La Alma-Lincoln Park. This bitter legacy informs long-time residents’ fears of gentrification and displacement.

2006's Neighborhood Assessment led to the 2010 development plan, by which the community is developing today. What we call Santa Fe Art District was founded in 2003 as a nonprofit membership organization and one of the first Certified Creative Districts in the state. But it took more years to change people's perception and bring more and more visitors to the area.

And all these changes brought there not only conventional artists, but also street artists, who changed the appearance of the street, especially the alleys and dark corners. In fact, I see it as pretty positive changes, the graffiti refreshed the view of the ancient (and cold looking) 100 years old buildings and created a new look of the street. Graffiti here somehow connected the beginning and the end of the 20 century, one of the longest and most tragic centuries in human history. The loop is closed, the road ends here and we can see it in modern art covering old walls.

Somehow the graffiti drew most of my attention this day, so take a look at them too. You don't need to like them, but we have to admit, this is what they call an art these days...

Pictures were taken on August 08, 2018.