El Muro de los Muertos, the clay skull mural installed on the east side of the Marcos Castellanos elementary school, has become an icon of Ajijic street art since it was created by local artist Efrén González in 2016.

It is a popular spot for tourists to snap souvenir photos and a topic for write-ups on the main attractions in the Pueblo Mágico.

Most recently, the Wall of the Dead caught the eye of Guadalajara restaurateur Miguel Monroy, proprietor of the prosperous Santo Coyote chain. He has commissioned  González to a make a small scale replica of around 250 plaques for Santo Coyote’s main location at Calle Lerdo de Tejada 2379 in the Colonia Americana.

But that is just the first step in a remarkable collaboration developing between the intrepid entrepreneur and the prolific artist. Monroy is planning to open a third Santo Coyote branch in Los Angeles in the neighborhood of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, with González recruited for another skull wall as the feature interior work of art.  He expects the L.A. project will require a thousand or more plaques.

Please login or subscribe to view the complete article.