The Historic Mesa Theatre of La Junta - Screening Room Mural

Description: This mural is on quite the medium, marker on ceiling tiles. Most of it is now missing, but it still tells its story effectively.

The Historic Mesa Theatre was built in 1940 on Santa Fe Ave. in La Junta Colorado. This article focuses on the multi-wall mural that wraps around the now closed Mesa Theatre. These images were captured in the former movie house's screening room. Excuse some of the slanted angles as the floor is sloped to accommodate theater seating. 

Although much of the fresco is missing, it clearly depicts a western landscape. Notice how the art style is sparce but reflects regional topography and culture. 

Several layers make up the composition of this element within the piece. As I lack artistic ability I can still appreciate the level of effort used here to make the most of magic marker on a ceiling tile canvas.

The artist did a good job matching colors on the fresco and the surrounding walls. The cactus and grass match the bottom couple feet of the walls, while the pink reaches for the matching ceiling. 

Perhaps the shaman is the central element to the piece as a whole. The action here seems to revolve around the masked purple figure. However, less than half of the multi-wall mural is still intact.

Let's not forget the warrior culture that once flourished across the Southeast Colorado region, this unknown artist made sure it was an action element in this piece. 

These figures stand outside of the circle and have very different clothing and stances than the others in the long forgotten fresco.

A pueblo (town) looks much like the dwellings from the far corner of Colorado at Mesa Verde. You can see the artist's talent in shading the adobe ovens in the foreground and the pueblo village in the background.

Expect to learn more about this little known historic building in future articles filed under "Today Is History" on SECO News.

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