Great Wall of Los Angeles

The Great Wall of Los Angeles is a mural designed by Judith Baca and executed with the help of over 400 community youth and artists coordinated by the Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC). The mural, on the concrete sides of the Tujunga Wash in the San Fernando Valley was Baca's first mural and SPARC's first public art project. Under the official title of The History of California, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.

 

The Great Wall is located on Coldwater Canyon Avenue between Oxnard Street and Burbank Boulevard and the eastern edge of the Valley College campus in the San Fernando Valley community of Valley Glen. It is on the concrete sides of the Tujunga Wash, part of the drainage system of Los Angeles, California. The mural is 13 feet (4.0 m) high, painted directly on concrete. With a length of 2,754 feet (840 m) (covering over 6 city blocks), it is credited as one of the longest murals in the world.

 

Section of the Great Wall of Los Angeles, September 2018

The Great Wall of Los Angeles depicts the history of California "as seen through the eyes of women and minorities" in many connected panels. The Great Wall of Los Angeles places emphasis on the often overlooked history of Native Americans, ethnic and religious minorities, LGBTQ-identified people, and those fighting for civil rights. Baca recalls that at the time, there was a lack of public art that represented the diverse heritage of Los Angeles. The mural is considered a cultural landmark as it was created in conjunction with the rise of the Chicano Movement of the 1960s-1980s.

 

The first panels begin with prehistory and colonialism. The very first panel was designed by Christina Schlesinger and depicts native wildlife and the creation story of the indigenous Chumash. Most of the following panels deal with events of the 20th century, including Chinese labor contributions to the United States, the arrival of Jewish refugees (fleeing oppression and the Holocaust) and their contributions to the culture and history of Los Angeles, refugees from the Dust Bowl, the Great Depression, the Japanese-American internment of World War II, the Zoot Suit Riots, the Freedom Bus rides, the disappearance of Rosie the Riveter, gay rights activism, the story of Biddy Mason, deportations of Mexican Americans, the birth of rock and roll, and the development of suburbia. The wall covers the history of California up to the 1950s. Each section of the wall was designed by a different artist under the supervision of Baca.

 

The style of the mural is considered to be Social Realism. The subject matter of the Great Wall of Los Angeles doesn't shy away from uncomfortable aspects of current and past social practices. The design and composition of the wall are also considered major aspects of the art's appeal. Baca's composition uses sweeping lines broken up by a sense of movement from the characters and subjects depicted.

 

Because the Great Wall of Los Angeles depicts historical events, the mural is part of Grant High School and Valley College's curriculum.

 

Section of the Great Wall of Los Angeles, September 2018

The possibility of creating the mural was first brought up in 1974 when Baca was contacted by the Army Corps of Engineers about a beautification project. While Baca was working as a consultant for the Tujunga Wash Greenbelt Project, she was offered the chance to beautify the flood-control channel. The wall along the river was considered an ugly eyesore, or in Baca's view, "a scar where the river once ran". Funding from the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) enabled her to assemble an artist workforce to begin the mural. The Great Wall of Los Angeles as an idea was more fully fleshed out in 1976 by Baca. Baca chose to do an epic-sized history of Los Angeles county, going back to the time of the dinosaurs. She first researched highlights of Los Angeles history on her own.

 

During the summer of 1977, Baca studied at the Taller Siqueiros in Cuernavaca to reinforce her knowledge of mural techniques, studying preservation, chemistry, and more. She studied the polyangular theory of David Alfaro Siqueiros, which deals with the differences between mural and easel painting.

 

The project, named Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC), converted an abandoned Venice police station into mural headquarters.The site was used to coordinate workshops, archive materials relating to the project, and run other programs.

 

In addition to the many experts in various academic fields, Baca recruited a team of artists to help with the project, including Isabel Castro, Yreina Cervantez, Judithe Hernández, Olga Munoz, Patssi Valdez, Margaret Garcia, Christina Schlesinger, Judy Chicago, and Gary Tokumoto.

 

Here is a local Business that supports the community

 

 

Google Map-