The Denver International Airport has been a great topic of controversy and intrigue over the years. When Leo Tanguma, a wonderful Chicano muralist from the South, had the opportunity to display his artwork in the airport, no one thought it would cause such an uproar. This paper will highlight and discuss in detail the unusual art of Leo and get a better understanding of the supposed conspiracy theories and secrets of the world imbedded in his work.
Leo Tanguma was born and raised in a small town called Beeville, right outside of Corpus Christi, Texas. Leo wasn’t your average child, he was extremely abstract and was always very opinionated about things to do with his culture. He was if fifth grade when he did his first painting, it was of children lynching the town sheriff. . He was always into politics and was considered to be a democrat. His art has always been the type, where either you love or you hate. I think a lot of the controversy surrounding him, had a lot to do with the fact that most people wouldn’t take the time to
understand his art. Instead, people would look at, but would really take the time to figure out the stories that he is trying to portray. As an adult he moved to Dallas to pursue a career as a muralist. After his warehouse studio was mysteriously burned down, “he moved to Denver and began doing paintings here on churches and community recreation centers” (More Murals). Leo loves to paint about things that are related to his heritage or that he feels very passionate about. In 1996 he got the opportunity to paint murals at the Denver International Airport and people who knew about Leo, already knew how bold his work was and how every piece of art he does, always tells an intense story. Although lots of people in the area knew that he was an extreme artist, I don’t think anyone was ready for the amount controversy there was going to be surrounding Leo’s art. The two painting 
that really struck a chord with not only the community, but people around the world was “Children of the World Dream of Peace” and “In Peace and Harmony with Nature”. On February 28, 1995 the Denver International opened its doors, but not before spending at least 2 billion dollars and taking years to construct the monster of an airport, that became the largest airport in the United States. The airport is 53 (square miles) and “has the longest public use runway available in the country” (Kate Erbland).
There have been many conspiracies surrounding the Denver Airport and Leo Tangumas murals, So I’m about to bring light to a few of the main conspiracies. Here is a list of all of the
Conspiracies that I am going to talk about.· Leo Tangumas murals have something to do with the new world order
· The Shape of the runway
· The dedications
· The secret underground tunnels
One of the biggest conspiracies is that Leo Tangumas murals in the airport are connected to the new world order. “Many of the conspiracy theorists who have posted about DIA have operated with the
understanding that Tanguma is a Mayan (hence the 2012 connection) that did these murals were the only thing he painted before going underground” (more murals). The next conspiracy in the shape of the runway. You can tell from the ground, but when you are flying above the runway, you can see how it is shaped like a swastika. Some people believe that when you put this together it adds up with all of the other conspiracies and then there are other people who think it is just a coincidence. The major conspiracy surrounding the Denver International Airport is that the underground tunnels and bunker, which lots of people think are more than just that. Theorists have said that they believe that the government is working in those tunnels and that it is in connection with the new world order. “The New World Order is a conspiracy which posits a new period of history bringing about a major change in the world with the balance of world power. This New World Order is theorized by some to involve a group or groups of elitists people bent on ruling the world through a single worldwide system of government” (“What is the New World Order”?). There has also been talk about there being an underground city under the airport, which would be very scary if it were true that people actually live under there. The government claims that nothing is happening under there, but there are claims that workers have come forward and said that there are plenty of secrets in that airport. There is also another conspiracy that there is said to be aliens living in the tunnels and that the government put them there instead of putting them in the middle of nowhere. Most people wouldn’t think they would hide things of another world right under our feet, but who really knows.
In conclusion this paper has given insight into the controversy and conspiracy’s regarding Leo Tanguma and the Denver Airport. Throughout this paper, examples of the unique artwork and outlandish speculations are discussed in detail. The construction, day to day workings and continued secrecy have all contributed to the hype and rumors surrounding this eccentric airport. The entire environment of the Denver airport has created a feeling that something questionable and somewhat ominous exists just below the surface.
Works Cited
"Conspiracy Theories Surrounding the Denver Airport." Exploring Lifes Mysteries. 2015 Cover Story Media, 19 Nov. 2013. Web. 09 Dec. 2015.
"INTERVIEW: Leo Tanguma | Zingmagazine." INTERVIEW: Leo Tanguma | Zingmagazine. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2015.
"More Murals by Leo Tanguma." The DIA Conspiracy Files. N.p., 12 May 2009. Web. 09 Dec. 2015.
"What Is the New World Order?" GotQuestions.org. 2002-2015 Got Questions Ministries, n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2015.
"5 Weird Conspiracy Theories Surrounding the Denver International Airport." Mental Floss. 2015 Mental Floss, n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2015.
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