249:, in 2014. Blanco competed in the 24-hour Reno Mural Marathon again in 2016 and took the second-place prize once more with “Dancing Street.” This 15-foot by 20-foot mural featured two hip-hop street dancers performing in the street. Again, Blanco competed in the fourth annual 24-hour Reno Mural Marathon and took the second-place prize in July 2017 with “Snapshot.” The 15-foot by 20-foot mural featured a person behind a camera lens snapping a photo of its subject looking back at it. Later that fall, in October 2017, Blanco painted “Irma” at the Reno Mural Expo, which was a 20-foot by 20-foot piece and featured the face of an Indigenous woman with a transparent American Flag on her face. In 2019, Blanco made another debut in the 24-hour Reno Mural Marathon when he took the third-place prize with “Frida Kahlo.”
115:. He has been a studio artist since 2004 and has an extensive exhibition record both nationally and internationally. More recently, Blanco has been transforming his studio background in order to create large-scale public mural paintings in the United States. His medium of choice is a combination of exterior latex house paint and water mixable oils; and once completed, his murals are sealed with a UV and water sealer/protector to ensure their vibrant life for 20–30 years. He blends classic studio painting techniques like
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In winter 2019, Blanco painted the “Color Isn’t Race” mural in Denver, Colorado. The seven-foot by 30-foot mural once again showcases Blanco's use of colorful, vertical strips as a backdrop (mainly used as a mapping technique to paint in large scale) and close-up images of four diverse sets of faces.
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Identity and human expression are relentlessly present in his pieces, as is the case with the “Sierra Hall” mural on the
University of Nevada, Reno campus. In July 2020, Blanco painted a seven-story mural on the Sierra Hall building facing Virginia Street. On the left side of the mural, six sets of
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Blanco continues to have studio artwork on display at exhibits (under the artist names of Blanco de San Roman and Rafael Lopez), but it was in 2014 when Blanco participated in his first mural contest (under the artist name Rafael Blanco) where he found his true passion.
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are represented at the top. On the center column, Blanco painted his own version of a clenched fist that is a symbol of resistance and defiance against social and racial injustices. To the right of this, continues the colorful horizontal stripes with a quote by
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In June 2018, Blanco started the year painting the “La
Michoacana mural,” which featured Latina women dancing in cultural attire and a Hispanic man atop a horse while another Hispanic cowboy plays guitar. This was a 17-foot by 66-foot mural in
261:. This 17-foot by 50-foot mural featured a conductor peering out of a steam engine locomotive preparing to travel. In 2018, trains again are displayed in Blanco's “Western Pacific” mural. Modern locomotives span the 17-foot by 12-foot
329:. Bowie was from Frederick County which brought historical culture to the public mural. Bowie plays the trumpet on the side of the 22-foot by 18-foot building downtown in his then 1960s-typical surgical mask and lab-coat attire.
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Blanco's murals tend to focus on critical subjects such as illegal immigration and
American patriotism; his thorough research of his subjects give his murals real meaning and bring out cultural heritage.
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The following summer, Blanco painted the “Dorothea Lange” 80-foot by 16-foot mural on the side of a photography business building in
Roseville, California. Blanco's research on this forgotten, famous,
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355:, features portraits of six women who have made significant and historical contributions to Salem. At the same time, Blanco also painted “Resilience.” This eight-foot by eight-foot mural in
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In 2021, Blanco continued the diversity theme with the “Diversity in
Technology” mural in Aurora, Illinois. This 52-foot by 36-foot mural on one of the tallest buildings in downtown
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Inspiring the next generation was Blanco’s theme for murals in 2021. In early summer 2021, Blanco painted “Thinking of you
Rockford.” This 22-foot by 77-foot piece in
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student, Blanco quit his coaching job to pursue his academic career full-time, until he graduated from the
University of Nevada, Reno with his MFA in Art in 2013.
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as the youngest of six children. His art is often influenced by his grandfather – a known sculptor in Spain. Blanco often recounts his childhood visiting the
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human eyes are painted horizontally in a swath of rainbow stripes, representing different races, ages, ethnicities and sexual orientation. The eyes of
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366:. The “Hunger Coalition” 20-foot by 20-foot mural featured the faces of three generations of individuals who have benefited from the organization.
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Blanco's 15-foot by 20-foot mural “The Jump” featuring his children, took the second-place prize in the inaugural 24-hour Reno Mural
Marathon in
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301:. This mural also displays a quote by Lange which said, “The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.”
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209:, Blanco was admitted into the MFA in Art program with an emphasis in drawing and painting. During his third-year of the program as a
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These faces, which showcase different ethnicities, age, gender and race, bring out Blanco's cultural theme in his more recent works.
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1149:"Denver Arts & Venues Announced New Cherry Creek Trail Urban Arts Fund Project by Artist Rafael Blanco"
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In fall 2021, Blanco painted a mural for the Hunger
Coalition – a non-profit organization in
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In August 2021, Blanco debuted the “Salem
Heritage” mural. This 17-foot by 80-foot mural in
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492:"'Music is medicine' : New downtown Frederick mural honors jazz legend and native son"
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Blanco earned his first full-time teaching job in 2014 as the Art Program Coordinator at
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1346:"Vibrant new mural spotlights untold history, significant contributions of local women"
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689:"FRC art show honors students and bids farewell to acclaimed muralist Rafael Blanco"
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348:, featured a young Black female dreaming alongside math and science illustrations.
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1253:"UNR'S MURAL PROJECT COMPLETED, ARTIST RAFAEL BLANCO DESCRIBES THE MURAL PROCESS"
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with large-scale mural techniques. He also uses computer visual techniques like
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Archer, Steve (2018). "Mural starts on Panaderia la Michoacana". Lincoln News.
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that reads, “It is not difference which immobilizes us, but silence.”
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change sites on the Western Pacific Railroad over the Sierra Mountains
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In 2000 at the age of 19, Blanco moved to the United States to attend
1276:"New 'Diversity in Technology' mural in Aurora aims to empower youth"
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prevailed in his artwork of Lange taking a photo with her 1930s
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737:"Photo Gallery: 24-hour mural marathon decorates Circus Circus"
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In 2009, Blanco got a job as the Assistant Tennis Coach at the
549:"Rafael Blanco Celebrates Diversity and Inclusion Through Art"
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In 2017, Blanco started the summer with “Railroading Away” in
466:"Arts Council unveils mural for Frederick-born jazz musician"
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190:, on a full-ride tennis scholarship. He then transferred to
1061:"Southwest-area Community Events Calendar Dec. 24-30, 2015"
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Miller, Geralda (February 12, 2012). "Framing Identity".
1200:"This artist braved the cold to paint a mural in Denver"
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styles. Blanco is also an Assistant Professor of Art at
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336:, features a Black female in a technology-data bubble.
863:"Local artist places second in 24-hour mural marathon"
1323:"CRE8IV Mural Festival underway across the Stateline"
1368:"Mural honoring health workers wins Fraser festival"
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1255:. University of Nevada, Reno. The Nevada Sagebrush
760:"'Strong Man' mural takes first in Artown contest"
886:"Who won the 24-Hour Mural Marathon Competition?"
179:, and the remarkable realism in their canvases.
325:, Blanco painted a mural of famous jazz artist
290:, that displayed the town's Hispanic Heritage.
1251:RODRIGUEZ, EMILIE RODRIGUEZ (July 23, 2020).
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1034:"Blanco de San Roman: Living in 'El Norte'"
810:"Circus Circus 24 Hour Mural Marathon 2016"
785:"Circus Circus Reno 24-Hour Mural Marathon"
526:. University of Nevada, Reno. July 28, 2020
442:. The Frederick News post. December 5, 2020
151:, Spain on August 13, 1981, and grew up in
224:. It was at this time, Blanco entered the
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836:"ArtEffects: Local Feature: Episode 127"
431:
1098:"Spotlight On Roseville Mural Project"
159:and his fascination with paintings by
986:"Train mural takes shape in Live Oak"
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1400:from the original on August 11, 2023
1225:Starmer, Luka (September 16, 2020).
1096:NELSON, HEATHER L. (July 25, 2019).
1059:Meurer, Ginger (December 23, 2015).
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910:Wartik, Nancy (February 23, 2018).
735:Vega, Christopher (July 14, 2014).
490:Cullen, Graham (December 2, 2020).
464:Young, Timothy (December 5, 2020).
1274:City of Aurora (August 28, 2021).
938:"WINNERS Reno Mural Festival 2019"
295:female depression-era photographer
192:Saint Mary's College of California
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1325:. YouTube. 13 WREX. June 17, 2021
1298:"Rafael Blanco Mural Description"
865:. Feather Publishing. Plumas News
861:Roth, Mari Erin (July 31, 2017).
691:. Feather Publishing. Plumas News
440:"Meet Mural Artist Rafael Blanco"
123:in his mural work and plays with
1344:Sidery, Sara (August 19, 2021).
984:Kaufman, Chris (July 10, 2017).
758:Smith, Katrina (July 14, 2014).
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105:Rafael Lopez de San Roman Blanco
1370:. Sky High News. August 9, 2021
936:Wycoff, Joyce (July 14, 2019).
884:Nollsch, Dana (July 16, 2017).
263:Western Pacific Railroad Museum
205:. Soon shortly after moving to
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1227:"Nevada's social justice art"
1424:The Hunger Coalition Channel
1038:Capital City Arts Initiative
687:Java, Roni (May 27, 2019).
241:24-hour Reno Mural Marathon
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1123:"Quotes by Dorothea Lange"
594:Escultores Hermanos Blanco
203:University of Nevada, Reno
147:Rafael Blanco was born in
912:"Go Ahead, Brag a Little"
520:"Diversity Mural Project"
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1065:Las Vegas Review Journal
637:"THE WORK OF ART Artown"
576:The Reno Gazette Journal
553:Elmhurst University News
184:Florida Southern College
963:Appeal Democrat YouTube
614:Blanco, Rafael (2021).
590:"Imagineria Alicantina"
496:The Frederick News Post
321:In the fall of 2020 in
1394:thehungercoalition.org
1390:"The Hunger Coalition"
1008:"Muralist begins work"
386:This section is empty.
1153:Broadway World Denver
988:. The Appeal Democrat
218:Feather River College
157:National Prado Museum
1040:. September 10, 2012
764:Reno Gazette Journal
662:"The Work of Artown"
340:Inspirational Murals
259:Live Oak, California
1014:. February 28, 2018
555:. September 4, 2020
323:Frederick, Maryland
288:Lincoln, California
267:Portola, California
211:master of fine arts
139:, with his family.
133:Elmhurst University
121:transparency layers
1206:. October 27, 2019
1175:"Color Isn't Race"
1155:. October 31, 2019
916:The New York Times
346:Rockford, Illinois
222:Quincy, California
196:Moraga, California
135:and he resides in
107:is a professional
1452:Spanish muralists
1179:Denver Public Art
1129:. August 25, 2014
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370:Gallery of Murals
188:Lakeland, Florida
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711:"DECK THE WALLS"
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388:You can help by
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357:Fraser, Colorado
334:Aurora, Illinois
311:Colin Kaepernick
277:Diversity Murals
137:Aurora, Illinois
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816:. This is Reno
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739:. This is Reno
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1430:November 11,
1428:. Retrieved
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