“Artist In Residence” - Alfonso Salazar

Alfonso Salazar was born in 1962 at and grew up near Penitencia Creek off of McKee and White Road in SJ. His parents immigrated to San Jose from Mexico in 1958. He was one of the first students to attend Independence High School in 1976 where he studied as many art electives available. 

Influenced by Walt Disney, cartoons on TV, comic strips, books and Mad Magazine. Alfonso often drew caricatures of his classmates and teachers and became the school’s first cartoonist for their newspaper.

Alfonso studied at the Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles. Known for the El Tarasco mural that was painted in 1986 then whitewashed in 2011 when a new owner moved in. The mural was his largest work after he graduated from Otis. He later became a graphic designer and clerk for the postal service.

In the coming weeks, we'll be sharing more about Alfonso's residency, for his mural along the Guadalupe River Trail for POW! WOW! San Jose and the Guadalupe River Park Conservancy.