Jesus “CIMI” Alvarado
We met CIMI on a Friday night in his studio, a stone’s throw from the border, inside a converted warehouse in the historic Chihuahuita district. It was a late night for him and his collaborators — including local artist Victor “Mask” Casas — as they were juggling multiple mural commissions. That juggling is nothing new for CIMI; He’s one of the most highly sought after muralists in town, but also one of the most humble. He began his artistic career as a graffiti artist, and his footprint can be found throughout the city’s historic Segundo Barrio and beyond, with his most recent project taking him to Marfa, TX, to address the ongoing cultural and physical gentrification that has been happening in that border town three hours away. His work is entirely rooted to the community he’s working in at a particular time, and his process usually includes elements of community brainstorming and participation within the creation of each public work.
When we asked CIMI if he considers himself a border artist, he shook off the term, saying instead that he is a Chicano artist. This cultural and political identity is the foundation of his work. In the same vein as Chicano muralists who have come before him — like his former teacher at Bowie High School, Gaspar Enriquez — his art is truly public, honoring the everyday Chicanx population that strengthens border culture in El Paso. The power of both contemporary and historic Chicanx figures is the driving force behind much of CIMI’s work.
As a Chicano artist, CIMI blurs the line between artist and organizer, and one of his recent projects includes two full-scale murals created in partnership with students from the El Paso Juvenile Detention Center. In addition to honoring his barrio’s history, he’s committed to growing new artists, which is one of the reasons behind his co-founding of Kalavera Culture Shop, a new spot in El Paso where emerging artists can buy art supplies at affordable prices, and find an artistic community that truly upholds one another.
If you want to know more about his work and the shop, check out his website, and keep an eye out for more projects from CIMI and Victor coming to a street corner or community center near you.
Watch the video below (produced by Angie Reza Tures) to see CIMI and Victor’s mural, El Corrido del Segundo Barrio, made in collaboration with local composer Kiko Rodriguez.
