“Un Veterano de Arte: Jose Andres Giron Narrates the Roots of his Devotion for Art”

By: Cindy G. Castillo 

Jose Andres Giron volunteered to join the Army straight out of high school.

He served his country at the start of the Vietnam War with his best friend, Rudy Saenz, and sketchpad in hand.

“All I wanted to do is go [to war], get out, go to school, and become an artist,” Giron said.

Trainings were less daunting when he grabbed his pad and sketched. Art was a peace of mind after seeing friends die in combat and bullets flying right above him.

But on April 16, 1965 he was shot.

“I thought I was going to die. It came that close. I literally said my goodbyes, thanked God for giving me almost twenty years of life, and pictured my mom just crying over my casket,” he said.

It was during this time that he was recuperating in the hospital that he thought back to his love for art.

“I just said this is my chance to really create some artwork, because I lost my pad when I was shot; they didn’t let me take [it] with me and when I got back out of the hospital it was gone,” he said.

Giron then made a promise to himself and his mother that if he were to survive the war, he would make a solid commitment to art.

Jose Andres Giron was born in November 30, 1945 in Phoenix, Arizona. He lived by the airport close to the Golden Gate Barrio.

His artwork draws much inspiration from his roots. The beauty and the souls of indigenous people; the people he grew up with.

It was in 2009 that he reunited with fellow art coalitions to establish Arizona’s first Latino Arts & Cultural Center in downtown Phoenix, ALAC.

“I was like, ‘Hey, I’m in! I’m on board’. I thought it was a good thing and I was going to be part of it from the beginning,” he said.

Thanks to the contributions of artists, groups, and coalitions, the group was able to raise $40,000 to open up ALAC.

He is a mentor to younger up and coming Latino artists and shares his expertise and experience generously. He promotes Latino Art and brings greater appreciation of the Latino culture.

“(ALAC) doesn’t belong to me. It belongs to whoever is here now because we are just here temporarily. It is up to us to create and mentor other artists, younger artists to take over,” he said.

“I am consistent with what I do and I try to experiment a little, but I always come back to my roots, to what I feel comfortable, which is painting,” he said.Referencing the life of famous Mexican painter Diego Rivera, Giron admits he is still evolving as an artist.

Today, Jose Andres Giron is one of the four Latino Veteran Artists, who, along with the Arizona Latino Arts & Culture Center, is proud to promote their traveling exhibition, “Los Veteranos de Arte: A Chicano Art Legacy Tour.”

The exhibition, which was featured in Galeria 147 at ALAC, honors Chicanos Heroes and Legends.

For more information on this exhibition and to learn more about the Arizona Latino Arts & Culture Center, please visit www.alacaz.org.