Street art: Artistic Expression or Wallpaper for Gentrification?
<h1>Local Denver residents explain their experiences with street art, graffiti, erasure of culture, and gentrification.</h1>
<p>From Chicano Muralism to colorful backdrops for your Instagram photos, street art has made its mark in Denver. However, where some see art, others see wallpaper for gentrification and the erasure of Chicano culture.</p>
<p>Denver is one of the nation’s fastest-gentrified cities in the nation. While this is evident through the increase in high risers and a decrease in minority populations, street art highly reflects these cultural shifts.</p>
<p>Local Chicano Artist <a href="http://www.guerillagarden.com/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Jeremy Silas Ulibarri </a>explains his experience with gentrification and how art represents the threat it has on a community and the culture.</p>
<p><img alt="" src="https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:770/1*S-hlelvMzOOWFshAhiEkKA.jpeg" style="height:472px; width:700px" /></p>
<p>Image of Jeremy Silas Ulibarri, a.k.a. Jolt, in his studio, Golden, Colo. Photo taken by Cassie Banuelos on April 16, 2023.</p>
<p>Ulibarri, who goes by the street name “Jolt,” is one of Denver's most prominent graffiti artists. Jolt has been spray painting since 1993 and is a product of Denver’s historic Latinx neighborhoods.</p>
<p><a href="https://medium.com/@cassieb793/street-art-artistic-expression-or-wallpaper-for-gentrification-814bdd1482a1"><strong>Website</strong></a></p>