Artist Zarco Guerrero traces Southwest water history in Goodyear performance

Sculptor, storyteller and performance artist Zarco Guerrero brought a 2,000-year history of the Southwest's water systems to Goodyear City Hall on Thursday, warning an audience that the region has reached a critical historical crossroads regarding its most vital resource.

The free public event, held inside the City Hall Council Chambers, traced the legacy of the region's "River People" the Indigenous populations historically reliant on the Gila and Salt rivers.

Organized by the P.W. Litchfield Heritage Center in partnership with the City of Goodyear and Arizona Humanities, the program is part of the "America 250 Initiative," a nationwide effort celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence by connecting local histories to broader national contexts.

"We've been trying to plan lectures that  tap into the broader link between our local history and national history," said Lisa Hegarty, executive director of the P.W. Litchfield Heritage Center.

According to Guerrero, a Mesa native, understanding that local legacy has never been more urgent.

"There are so many stories that we don't know, that we didn't grow up hearing," Guerrero told the crowd. "I thought it was very important now that we're at a critical point in our history with water... It's not a happy story. As a matter of fact, it's a tragic story."

Mask and metaphor

Guerrero relies heavily on expressive, handcrafted masks to bring his historical narratives to life. He designs and molds every mask himself directly on his own face, using simple plaster bandages and paper pulp clay to create customized, tight-fitting pieces that transform him into a vessel for the region's ancestors.

When he dons each mask and costume, Guerrero undergoes a physical transformation, seamlessly adapting his voice and mannerisms to channel distinct personas. These characters serve as highly approachable experts, allowing him to transition fluidly from lighthearted, silly moments to serious conversations about culture, history and human perseverance.

 Guerrero said the mask serves to highlight individual struggles and the shared humanity that binds diverse communities together.

Zarco Guerrero urges action on water scarcity while connecting local heritage to contemporary struggles.

James Goldmeer/ Independent Newsmedia

The River People

Using theatrical storytelling and anecdotes, Guerrero presented a vast sweep of regional events. His performance touched on the early Toltec trade routes that brought agriculture and corn to the Southwest, the complex irrigation and canal systems engineered by the ancestral Sonoran Desert people, the history of the O'Odham Nation, the migration of the Yaqui Indians and the arrival of Mormon settlers.

Guerrero, who grew up along the Salt and Verde rivers, shared his own awakening to the stark reality of the region’s dry riverbeds. He recounted how a broken air conditioner during a hot Arizona summer led him to discover the running waters of the Salt River outside Mesa, prompting his deep dive into water history.

"It was like a National Geographic experience," Guerrero said. "I fell in love and afterwards, I started asking myself all of these questions: When did this river stop running through the valley? Where did it go?"

The presentation highlighted the architectural and engineering feats of the ancestral Canal Builders, who created a sophisticated water distribution system spanning hundreds of miles to irrigate tens of thousands of acres of land. Guerrero detailed how climatic disruptions like a volcanic eruption at Sunset Crater around 1200 A.D. fractured that complex system, forcing mass migrations.

He also detailed how subsequent "River People," such as the Yaqui, helped build the region's modern infrastructure, including the Roosevelt Dam and early road networks, before being displaced to dry desert settlements.

According to Hegarty, keeping these histories alive is at the core of the Heritage Center’s ongoing mission.

Art and  community

Guerrero said his art is integrated with his role as a community advocate. For Guerrero, the stage and the studio are active platforms for social intervention and healing.

This intersection of art and community defense is a what Guerrero describes as a hallmark of his career. Whether using masks to give voice to historical traumas, mentoring youth through creative expression, or acting as a critical confidant during times of collective isolation, he said he views the artist as a caretaker of public well-being.

By channeling contemporary anxieties, like mental health fallouts during the COVID-19 pandemic and Trump-era immigration policies back into his creative work, Guerrero said his art is an active response to the immediate struggles of Southwest communities.

Visit zarkmask.com for more information.