Taos Mural by George Chacon

I really like this mural in Taos merges with the sky and the mountains, so I looked up the artist and learned a sad story: George Chacón died of an apparent massive heart attack 4 years ago after his performance at the opening night for a poetry event at SOMOS. “He died drumming, surrounded by people who love him. He finished drumming. Put his head on his conga. And died,”

Chacón was born in Saguache, Colo., on the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos, the third child of seven children. “As a young man fresh out of high school, I went to New York City to discover and explore the world of art which had always excited me,” he wrote in his online biography (georgechaconart.com). “While in NYC, I worked with the Boys Athletic League. After this exciting and enriching experience I went on to study at Colorado State University and Western Washington University.

“Culturally,” he said, “the traditions and the international connections that make Taos, New Mexico, an important art center was enormously appealing to me as an artist. As my wife Beverly and I had maternal and paternal roots in the area we felt that it was also the place we wanted to raise a family, so we moved to Taos in 1983 to pursue our dreams.”