Virginia Avenue Park Mural Back to Drawing Board

Arts Commission Meets with Public Arts Committee to Review Status

Clara Sturak
Associate editor

   Part two of two

   East Los Streetscapers, a group of muralists known for their colorful style and melding of modern scenes with ancient iconic imagery, are considered among the most influential muralists in Los Angeles. Their “El Nuevo Fuego,” graces the entire height of the Victor Clothing Company building in downtown Los Angeles, celebrating both the 1984 Olympic athletes and Mayan torch lighters. They’ve produced scores of murals throughout Los Angeles, including two in MTA transit stations. Their work has been commissioned in Houston and St. Louis. But they aren’t good enough for Virginia Avenue Park.
   That, according to every member of the Virginia Avenue Park Advisory Board (VAPAB). In a meeting held May 10, the board, consisting of community leaders and residents, resolved unanimously that it had “serious concerns” about the East Los Streetscapers’ mural planned for the park, and requested that the issue be taken up by the Recreation and Parks Commission.
   After hearing from concerned VAPAB members at its meeting on May 16, the Commission agreed, and adopted a motion to forward the matter to the Arts Commission – the board that originally approved East Los Streetscapers after a competitive process in 1997. The Arts Commission will meet in a joint session with its Public Art Committee on Thursday, May 30 to take up the issue.
   When the idea of a mural in Virginia Avenue Park first came up in 1997, the Santa Monica Arts Commission opened up a competitive process in which qualified applicants vied for the gig. A special committee, made up of two members of the VAPAB, as well as Recreation and Parks Commissioners and Arts Commissioners chose East Los Streetscapers. Since then, East Los has proceeded with the project as approved, and begun designing an 80 x 17 foot mural depicting the lives of Pico Neighborhood residents.
   But, it wasn’t until after Recreation and Parks Commissioner Susan Cloke suggested it in January of this year that VAPAB members had the opportunity to see East Los’ designs.
   What they saw didn’t please them. Says Alex Munoz, Chair of VAPAB, “The images [in the proposed mural] weren’t really empowering, uplifting or inspirational. Many members of the board felt that the images really needed to be examined.”
   Board members were particularly upset by a depiction of an elderly African American woman pushing a shopping cart and a pregnant young Latina woman, which they felt bordered on the stereotypical, and according to Munoz, did not accurately “represent the spirit and ethos of the Pico Neighborhood.”
   VAPAB members met with the artists, and expressed their concerns on May 10. Karen Ginsberg, Assistant Director of Community and Cultural Services, describes the meeting as “very cordial.” Munoz agrees, and goes out of his way to add that the East Los representatives were “very sensitive, and really listened and paid attention to everyone. They asked for photos [from the neighborhood] so they could really get it right.”
   Yet, despite the artists’ willingness to work with the community to change the mural’s design, the VAPAB board “decided that these artists weren’t really their style,” Munoz says, adding, “This is a huge mural, and it will be lit at night. It will be the defining image of the park.” Given that, the board felt strongly that it wanted to send the project back to the Arts Commission for a second look. Put another way, “They object to this mural,” Ginsberg says.
   As they meet to “discuss the appropriateness” of the mural and “examine alternatives,” including a new mural, some other type of public art, or no art at all, the Public Art Committee and the Arts Commission now have the unenviable task of either sticking with a well-respected group of muralists – one that they’ve spent the last five years paying – and infuriating an entire neighborhood; or taking East Los off of the project, appearing to bow to public pressure, and beginning again – with a new artist, new concept, new timeline, and a new budget.
   Ginsberg says the City doesn’t have “at this time,” although she concedes that the Arts Commission could use the “Percent for Art” money – a fund that comes from one percent of every construction project budget being placed in a public art fund — to subsidize the project, something they aren’t likely wont to do.
   Ginsberg adds that “the whole timing thing is a problem because we’re moving forward [with the rest of the expansion].” But Munoz insists that Ginsberg herself assured VAPAB that there would be no delay in the park expansion as a result of a change in public art.
   Says Munoz, “The last thing we want is any more delays, believe me.”