Chachos in Boulder: "Together, We Grow"
2025 Street Wise Mural Festival
Location: East wall of People Productions Outbuilding, 1735 15th St, Boulder, CO 80302
Photos by Jeff Goldberg, Yukai Tomsovic, and Cha
Step into the mesmerizing and immersive world built by Cha on the walls of People Productions. Chachos in Boulder: "Together, We Grow" emphasizes the importance of joy through community.
The viewer has access to a small section of an accordion of square scenes, a snippet of Chaco's world that the artist has been building for decades. Chacho is an alien-like being with a grey head always shown in profile, and complete with thick eyebrows, circular eyes, large hoop earrings, multicolored lips, and exaggerated chins.
Chacho’s world is rooted in curiosity, connection, and learning through experience. In Cha’s artwork, joy often serves as a grounding force. Chacho explores life with openness, and that sense of discovery usually carries warmth and playfulness.
For #2025SWMF, Cha paints four Chachos seated together at a circular table. Most are enjoying a meal while one paints another Chacho’s portrait. The Chacos raise their arms in joy, toast one another, and smile playfully. They celebrate life by gathering and spending time with one another. This scene represents care, connection, and community.
Cha surrounds the central scene with a variety of symbols. Miniature Chachos climb into the scene, hang upside down, and sit in contemplation of the viewer, emphasizing play and fun. Large green plants shaped as Chacos symbolize growth and protection. A bucket of purple paint labeled joy spills over into the central scene.
The lamp represents vigilant care and watching out for one another. The books symbolize the importance of knowledge. The mushrooms reveal invisible connections and beauty in quiet corners, reminding us that we are all connected and that even the smallest details have a purpose. The bright colors and playful shapes help unite the scene into a joyful, uplifting piece.
Cha’s mural reveals how joyful resistance can mean taking care of and nurturing our communities. Joy doesn’t have to be loud or grand; it can live in simple habits and in everyday moments such as sharing a meal together. Choosing togetherness, happiness, and presence becomes a quiet but powerful form of resistance.
For the artist, painting in public was really meaningful. Cha loved talking with people as they passed by, hearing their interpretations, and watching them connect with the piece as it came together. Those moments of exchange become part of the artwork for her.
“This project reminded me how important accessible public art is,” says Cha. “It creates moments of pause, dialogue, and connection in everyday spaces. I’m grateful to Street Wise Arts for supporting artists and creating opportunities like this for the community.”
About the Artist:
Cha is a multidisciplinary artist whose work is rooted in storytelling, community, and the power of imagination. With a background spanning painting, sculpture, and public art, Cha creates vibrant, immersive worlds centered around her original character, Chacho, an alien-like being who travels through universes, mimicking behaviors and learning from others. Chacho acts as a mirror for human emotion and transformation, often surrounded by geometric patterns that echo ritual, connection, and growth.
Originally from the French countryside, Cha draws inspiration from dreams, memory, and the environments she’s lived in, channeling these elements into public art that invites curiosity and reflection. She now lives and works in Colorado, where she continues to share her evolving universe through murals, workshops, and exhibitions.