The true story behind DIA’s conspiracy-ridden murals

BY ELLE NAEF, ALEXIS KIKOEN, PETER VO ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS

e iconic murals displayed at DIA created by Leo Tanguma have drawn attention from people around the world since the early 1990s. Unfortunately, much of the focus has been on the imagery of destruction rather than the storyline that ends with a vision of world peace.

Along with other elements of DIA (recently rebranded to DEN), conspiracy theories about the murals have gone viral — rumors of Nazi or Illuminati ties, and warnings of the “new world order.” While these claims are unfounded, they have made a signi cant impact on the lives of the artists.

“I need to see what’s wrong in society, and then re ect it in my murals. At the same time, I wanted to re ect what’s beautiful in society and in my community,” Tanguma said.

Twenty-eight years after unveiling the murals, Tanguma spoke to Rocky Mountain PBS at his granddaughter’s home surrounded by family photos and artwork. His daughter and collaborator Leticia Darlina Tanguma was nearby o ering emotional support, welling with pride as her father re ected on his artistic legacy.

“It was a spiritual awakening for me,” he added. “I’ve always been spiritual, I think. But those experi- ences moved me more to consider that what I had in my abilities was a God-given talent. And I think that was made important in those murals.” e murals at the airport, now temporarily in storage, depict the terrors of war and pollution. Amongst the chaos is a group of sleeping children. From their minds extends a grey mist that turns into a rainbow, leading to a portrayal of an ideal world, entitled “In Harmony with Peace and Nature.”

Despite the e ort Tanguma, Darlina, and their supporters poured into the murals, the type of fame and recognition they received wasn’t what many artists pine for. Since their unveiling, conspiracy theories about the murals have run rampant. Darlina learned about some of the rumors in the early 2000’s. She recalls hearing, “‘People hate that mural. ey say, you wanted 9/11 because of that gure of war. ey say that in the Bible, all these dirty animals are unclean. ey say, ‘Why are you painting people in co ns?’ And, you know, just on and on where it became a terrible conspiracy.” e delayed construction of the airport continued to feed rumors of secret underground networks, and with each new idea came a web of uncredible theories attempting to tie other works of art at the airport, like the mustang sculpture nicknamed “Blucifer,” to rumors of plotted terror.

People have pro ted from books and documentaries about the theories, but Tanguma and Darlina say they have rarely been asked about the actual meaning behind the murals.

And while many people nd the conspiracies laughable (DIA has even turned some into a marketing opportunity), the consequences of these rumors are far from funny for the Tanguma family.

According to Darlina, the conspiracy theories started before the murals were even complete.

“We did have a few people come in at the time that were painting it. ey said, ‘don’t paint this. ere’s a new world order.’ We had no idea what they were talking about back then.” Darlina shared.

As soon as the conspiracy theories began, Tanguma lost two valuable commissions, and according to Darlina, both of them were harassed. Some people even resorted to death threats.

“People have said things like, ‘You need to destroy the art. You need to destroy the artist who did this,’” she recalled.

“I thought and I still think that these people are deranged,” said Tanguma. “For example, one religious minister called the mural satanic. Others said that they saw demons.”

Despite the airport allowing Darlina to have plaques installed explaining the murals, the conspiracies continued.

Darlina said that while people have the right to interpret art as they would like, it’s important to acknowledge the cruelty behind how these theories unfolded. She said that to overlook the important messages of peace, justice and hope the murals were meant to portray causes harm to entire communities.

“ ey’re [the conspiracies] destroying the artwork, too.” explained Darlina. “I’ve met other people that have been so depressed,” she continued, referring to people who feared the conspiracy theories were true.

Family friend of the Tagumas, Cheryl Detwiler Mihaka, also helped create the murals. Taguma said that her talent combined with Darlina’s helped them portray a deep sense of compassion in their art.

“Both my daughter and Cheryl had experienced physical violence in relationships, so that also humanized them more,” he shared. “So, I had not only fantastically talented young women working with me, but also they brought me back to the spirituality of what we were trying to do.”

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