Artist, city disagree on mural restoration

Daily News - August 7, 2000

By Dominic Berbeo

Valley Glen - A quarter century after developing a program to rehabilitate hundreds of delinquent youths by painting the world's longest mural, one of California's premiere artists say a city plan to restore the mural is inadequate. Artist Judith Baca disagrees with a report by Cultural Affairs Department that estimates only 10 percent or less of the mural known as the "Great Wall of Los Angeles" needs serious restoration work, with a piece tag between $162,000 and $227,000. The mural is 10 feet tall and runs a half-mile along the Tujunga Wash drainage channel on Coldwater Canyon Avenue between Burbank Boulevard and Oxnard Street adjusted to Los Angeles Valley College. It was painted in the summers from 1975 to 1983 under Baca's direction using more than 400 youths from around the city - most of whom were delinquent of joining gangs. The city assessment, Baca argues, was made without consulting the artist and by observation taken from 70 feet back, outside the channel. "It is clear that at least 30 percent of the mural is going to need major repair," Baca said during a recent trip into the drainage channel to get a close look at the damage. " They are obviously underestimated the work that needs to be done." Baca is preparing her own restoration estimate to present to City Council staff members this week. The artist has contracted with the city to produce and maintain murals since the mid-'70s through the Venice-based Social and Public Art Resource Center founded in 1976. Nathan Zakheim, an independent restoration expert, agrees that at least 30 percent of the mural would need retouching. "There are large sections where paint has completely flaked off" due to weather and pollution, he said. "But if redone and treated correctly, this mural could last another hundred years." Either way, some creative funding sources will have to be found to pay for the restoration, Baca and the city agree. Acting on a request by Councilman Alex Padilla, the council in June approved spending $100,000 in city funds on restoring the mural, with Cultural Affairs suggesting that additional funds be sought from county or grand sources and that a foundation be set up for future maintenance of the "Great Wall."

The Cultural Affairs report also suggests that even though the mural was largely city-sponsored, Baca should be responsible for seeking funds. "It should be stated that foundations and private sources traditionally fund directly to organizations, not to government agencies," Adolfo Nodal, general manager of Cultural Affairs, wrote in the report. "SPARC needs to apply directly to this type of agency."Baca said she has applied for $200.000 in private foundation funds and should have a response by year's end. The city will also continue to play a role in seeking funds to restore the mural as soon as possible, said Camilo Cruz, an aide to Councilman Mike Feuer, whose district includes the "Great Wall." County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavski, whose district includes the mural, was not immediately available to comment on whether the county would consider pitching in for restoration, leaving county's role unclear. It was also unclear what group would oversee the massive restoration project. Baca argues that since she oversaw the production and designed much of the work herself, she should oversee the restoration and supervise the at-risk youths involved. But while the report by Nodal suggests that Cultural Affairs oversee the project and pay Baca $5,000 as a consultant, he indicated that it may be best to have Baca lead the project. "It's probably going to be a sole-source contract with (SPARC)," he said. "The most important thing now is raising the additional money needed." The mural gives a movie-reel-type pictorial history of Los Angeles from prehistoric times to the 1950s, with dozens of scenes such as the Spanish conquest, the roaring '20s, development of Valley, both World wars and the "Zoot suit" riots. In the future, Baca envisions not only restoring the mural, but adding new historic chapters to it by using at-risk youths again and setting up a series of live and online dialogues to find out what city residents would like to see included. "It should be restored in the same community spirit in which it was created," Baca said. "This is not a strip of asphalt with potholes to be filled as cheap and fast possible. This is a social process to create a sense of community and install in these kids a sense of usefulness and belonging." Baca has though fine arts at the University of California's Los Angeles and Irvine campuses over the past decade. For 10 years beginning 1974, Baca ran the city-funded Los Angeles Mural Program, which produced hundreds of murals, In 1988, Mayor Tom Bradley asked Baca to establish a new city mural program called the Neighborhood Pride Program, based the method used for the "Great Wall." From 1988 until last year, the program contracted for up to $400,000 annually with Baca to coordinate hundreds of artist, scholars, community members and at-risk youths to produce about 100 murals with social and historical messages around the city. There are roughly 2,000 murals in Los Angeles, making it the mural capital of the world, said Robin Dunitz, who helps run the Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles. The group is involved in raising public and private funds to restore murals and also offers mural tours of Los Angeles. Most of the mural is online at the group's web site, lamurals.org. "The 'Great Wall' is a top designation," Dunitz said. "SPARC did a great job of coordinating the artists with community." She said Baca should play a leading role in restoring of the "Great Wall" because, unlike many other artists whose work is restored, "she's still alive, and that's a huge asset."