Public Art and Installations
Juntos/Together
Hand-set porcelain tile mural, 1991
Lakewood Dry Gulch Park, Perry St. & 10th Ave. Denver, CO
City and County of Denver Public Art Collection Juntos/Together is a 6-foot by 17-foot freestanding wall featuring a hand-set porcelain tile mosaic mural on both sides. The artwork brings a human element to Lakewood Dry Gulch Park, depicting groups of people gathering, interacting, and enjoying the outdoors. The mural celebrates community, connection, and the shared experiences that bring people together in public spaces.
El Grito de Guadalupe, 2019 Red line Art Center, Denver & 2025 Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art
Installation view: acrylic paint on panel, woodblock prints, papier-mâché, hay, a sarape, a dog cage, and paper monarch butterflies. In El Grito de Guadalupe, Tony Ortega reimagines Our Lady of Guadalupe through the anguished expression of Edvard Munch’s iconic painting The Scream, transforming her image into a contemporary symbol of collective pain, resilience, and cultural memory. The installation references the historic “Grito de Dolores” while responding to present-day struggles surrounding immigration, displacement, and family separation. At the center of the installation, the Christ Child is placed inside a dog cage filled with hay, recalling the humble manger of the Nativity while creating a powerful metaphor for confinement and vulnerability. Surrounding the central painting are six woodblock prints depicting a paletero—a street vendor—being detained by ICE. Between the prints and the painting, delicate paper monarch butterflies evoke migration, transformation, and the enduring journeys of people across borders. Through the combination of sacred imagery, popular culture, printmaking traditions, and everyday materials, El Grito de Guadalupe explores the intersection of faith, identity, and the lived experiences of immigrant communities.
The Apparition, 2010
Installation view, Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art (BMoCA)
Also exhibited at the University of Arizona Museum of Art, Tucson, AZ, 2011
Created for my 2010 exhibition at the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, The Apparition combines charcoal drawing, digital print, and found objects to explore migration, cultural memory, spirituality, and the search for belonging. The installation was part of a larger body of work examining the lives and experiences of Mexican service workers in the United States, reflecting on their labor, resilience, and enduring humanity.
At the center of the installation is Lupe Liberty, my hybrid digital image that merges the Statue of Liberty and Our Lady of Guadalupe into a single icon. Suspended above a life-sized charcoal drawing of a gathered crowd, the image evokes a collective moment of witness, contemplation, and hope. By bringing together these two universally recognized symbols, the work suggests that faith and freedom are inseparable aspirations for many who journey in search of a better life.
A simple barbed-wire fence stretches across the foreground, creating both a physical and psychological boundary between the viewer and the figures. Nearby, a large water container bearing a white flag recalls the humanitarian water stations placed along migrant routes in the desert, where access to water can mean the difference between life and death. These found objects ground the installation in the realities of migration while serving as symbols of compassion, survival, and human dignity.
Rather than illustrating a single event or political moment, The Apparition invites reflection on the universal human desire for refuge, opportunity, and belonging. The installation reflects my ongoing exploration of Nepantla—the in-between space where cultures, histories, identities, and spiritual traditions intersect. Within this space of transition and transformation, faith, memory, and hope become enduring sources of resilience, affirming both the complexity of the immigrant experience and the strength of the human spirit.
Installation view, Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art (BMoCA)
Also exhibited at the University of Arizona Museum of Art, Tucson, AZ, 2011
Created for my 2010 exhibition at the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, The Apparition combines charcoal drawing, digital print, and found objects to explore migration, cultural memory, spirituality, and the search for belonging. The installation was part of a larger body of work examining the lives and experiences of Mexican service workers in the United States, reflecting on their labor, resilience, and enduring humanity.
At the center of the installation is Lupe Liberty, my hybrid digital image that merges the Statue of Liberty and Our Lady of Guadalupe into a single icon. Suspended above a life-sized charcoal drawing of a gathered crowd, the image evokes a collective moment of witness, contemplation, and hope. By bringing together these two universally recognized symbols, the work suggests that faith and freedom are inseparable aspirations for many who journey in search of a better life.
A simple barbed-wire fence stretches across the foreground, creating both a physical and psychological boundary between the viewer and the figures. Nearby, a large water container bearing a white flag recalls the humanitarian water stations placed along migrant routes in the desert, where access to water can mean the difference between life and death. These found objects ground the installation in the realities of migration while serving as symbols of compassion, survival, and human dignity.
Rather than illustrating a single event or political moment, The Apparition invites reflection on the universal human desire for refuge, opportunity, and belonging. The installation reflects my ongoing exploration of Nepantla—the in-between space where cultures, histories, identities, and spiritual traditions intersect. Within this space of transition and transformation, faith, memory, and hope become enduring sources of resilience, affirming both the complexity of the immigrant experience and the strength of the human spirit.
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Debajo de la Misma Luna (Under the Same Moon)
Public Art | Longmont, Colorado | 2020
6 ft x 20 ft
Created as part of the Longmont Museum’s outreach for the 25th anniversary of its Día de Muertos celebration, Debajo de la Misma Luna was developed through a collaborative community process during the COVID-19 pandemic. Working outdoors with participants wearing masks, I invited community members of all ages to help paint sections of the mural, transforming the artwork into a shared expression of resilience, remembrance, hope, and connection during an unprecedented moment in history.
The mural celebrates the richness of community through imagery of music, dance, storytelling, memory, and everyday life. Inspired by the belief that we all live under the same moon, the work reflects the diverse cultural traditions and shared experiences that connect us across generations and backgrounds.
Completed through collective participation, Debajo de la Misma Luna stands as both a public gathering place and a lasting reminder that, even during times of separation and uncertainty, creativity, cultural traditions, and community collaboration have the power to bring people together.
The mural celebrates the richness of community through imagery of music, dance, storytelling, memory, and everyday life. Inspired by the belief that we all live under the same moon, the work reflects the diverse cultural traditions and shared experiences that connect us across generations and backgrounds.
Completed through collective participation, Debajo de la Misma Luna stands as both a public gathering place and a lasting reminder that, even during times of separation and uncertainty, creativity, cultural traditions, and community collaboration have the power to bring people together.
The Savoy Mural
Public Art | The Savoy Building | Denver, Colorado
“No longer extant due to weather deterioration."
6 ft x 16 ft
Created for the historic Savoy building in Denver’s Five Points neighborhood, this mural celebrated the layered history of a landmark gathering place. Through imagery that brought together music, memory, and community, the artwork honored the many generations who shaped the Savoy—from its early history as a neighborhood gathering space to its important connections with Denver’s jazz heritage and cultural legacy.
At the center of the composition was a jazz ensemble inspired by the rich musical history of Five Points, one of Denver’s most significant cultural districts. Framed by theatrical curtains, the musicians appeared as if taking the stage, reflecting the Savoy’s role as a place where stories, performances, and communities came together.
Like many of my public art projects, this mural was created through research, dialogue, and an appreciation for the histories connected to a specific place. The artwork brought multiple narratives into a shared visual space, reflecting my continued exploration of cultural memory, identity, and the ways communities preserve their histories.
Although the mural is no longer publicly visible due to weather deterioration, its legacy remains through documentation and the memories of those who experienced it. The project represents a moment in Denver’s evolving cultural landscape and continues my commitment to creating artwork that connects communities with the histories embedded in their surroundings.
At the center of the composition was a jazz ensemble inspired by the rich musical history of Five Points, one of Denver’s most significant cultural districts. Framed by theatrical curtains, the musicians appeared as if taking the stage, reflecting the Savoy’s role as a place where stories, performances, and communities came together.
Like many of my public art projects, this mural was created through research, dialogue, and an appreciation for the histories connected to a specific place. The artwork brought multiple narratives into a shared visual space, reflecting my continued exploration of cultural memory, identity, and the ways communities preserve their histories.
Although the mural is no longer publicly visible due to weather deterioration, its legacy remains through documentation and the memories of those who experienced it. The project represents a moment in Denver’s evolving cultural landscape and continues my commitment to creating artwork that connects communities with the histories embedded in their surroundings.
Northpark
Tony Ortega & Maureen Auman
Public Art Project, Denver, Colorado
Northpark is a unique collaborative public artwork that brought together a writer, a visual artist, and 1,350 elementary school students to create a lasting reflection of the neighborhood community. In response to a call for a writing artist and visual artist team, Tony Ortega and Maureen Auman developed a project that invited students to leave their personal mark through words and images.
Working directly with students, the artists gathered personal statements, phrases, and drawings that were then sandblasted into existing concrete structures incorporated throughout the park’s design. As a bilingual artist, Ortega worked with students in both English and Spanish, allowing the artwork to reflect the voices and cultural experiences of the community. The completed work remains in both languages, celebrating the diversity and shared identity of the neighborhood.
Tony Ortega & Maureen Auman
Public Art Project, Denver, Colorado
Northpark is a unique collaborative public artwork that brought together a writer, a visual artist, and 1,350 elementary school students to create a lasting reflection of the neighborhood community. In response to a call for a writing artist and visual artist team, Tony Ortega and Maureen Auman developed a project that invited students to leave their personal mark through words and images.
Working directly with students, the artists gathered personal statements, phrases, and drawings that were then sandblasted into existing concrete structures incorporated throughout the park’s design. As a bilingual artist, Ortega worked with students in both English and Spanish, allowing the artwork to reflect the voices and cultural experiences of the community. The completed work remains in both languages, celebrating the diversity and shared identity of the neighborhood.
Take Me Out to the Game
Public Art | Sandstone Ranch, Longmont, Colorado | 2003
Created for the City of Longmont’s Art in Public Places collection, Take Me Out to the Game is a sandstone and metal archway that welcomes visitors to the ballfields at Sandstone Ranch. Inspired by the traditions of baseball and the shared experiences that surround America’s pastime, the artwork celebrates the role of public spaces as places where families, neighbors, and generations come together.
Through the use of durable natural materials and imagery connected to the spirit of the game, the piece reflects my ongoing interest in creating artwork that connects history, community, and a sense of place. Like many of my public artworks, Take Me Out to the Game transforms an everyday gathering space into an opportunity for connection, memory, and collective experience.
Through the use of durable natural materials and imagery connected to the spirit of the game, the piece reflects my ongoing interest in creating artwork that connects history, community, and a sense of place. Like many of my public artworks, Take Me Out to the Game transforms an everyday gathering space into an opportunity for connection, memory, and collective experience.
The artist retains copyright to the images displayed on this Web site. They may be used for non-commercial purposes if credit is given to the artist. For commercial purposes, please contact Tony Ortega for permission to reproduce, publicly display, copy, distribute or otherwise use such images.