Metro State’s success begins with … Carlos A. Frésquez

Assistant Professor of Art Carlos Fresquez stands in front of his art “Un Corrido Para La Gente” (A Ballad for the People) at Morrison Road and Sheridan Boulevard on Nov. 13 during a dedication ceremony by the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs’ Public Art Program.

From @Metro, Feb. 24, 2010

When you’re three years old and using your mom’s mix of flour and water (which she uses to make tortillas) as paste to make exotic art collages, you should probably just go ahead and claim art as your major.

That’s exactly how Carlos Frésquez’s life as an artist started, and today, 50 years later, he still loves art—which is blatantly obvious after just one minute with the assistant professor of painting at Metro State.

“I think my parents saw something in me at age 3, maybe a knack to assemble items and bring them together,” says the 1980 Metro State alumnus. “They nurtured that in me and encouraged me.”

Then there was kindergarten. “Mrs. White, the teacher, put out the primary colors red, blue and yellow and let us play with them. I remember the yellow and blue became green and to me that was magic. From that moment I wanted to play with that magic forever.”

Today, Frésquez says art still feels magical. “Not just for me, but now for my students … when they move from conception to finished product, they love it. And I do, too.”

He says over the years, art “became me, it defines me and it’s so deep inside me. It’s always a challenge and I’ve always liked that challenge, to create something that’s intriguing and interesting.”

Those are certainly two words you can use to describe much of his work, which ranges from murals that cover entire sides of buildings to a much smaller George and Jane Jetson (the cartoon characters of the ‘70s) hugging in front of a map of the world.

One piece he says that’s come “to define him” is a 6-ft. by 6-ft. mural he painted in 1990, with intense colors, of a couple getting married at a church, “but no people are there celebrating, it’s like a dream. And a lot of people ask me about it.”

He explains the meaning: When the Auraria Campus was built, a Hispanic community was displaced and were promised scholarships. “But that took a while to happen, so there wasn’t a reason to celebrate without those scholarships.” But when Metro State began offering the scholarships, he repainted it and added a celebration.

When asked what he hopes people take from his art, he says he doesn’t really think about that. “I do art for myself. If someone gets something from it, that’s great.”

He says some have asked to buy his work and he remembers one such customer he saw 20 years later who still had the piece and said that he was still happy to have it. “That makes you feel good.”

Then he expands on his philosophy of art: “It should give something to you. We need to feed our stomachs and we need to fill our souls, our spirits, to make ourselves stronger, better people. I just hope my works gives something to people.”