ELYSIAN VALLEY RECREATION CENTER
EVAC Community Mural Program
OVERVIEW
PROJECT: We are planning and implementing a mural project to help beautify the Elysian Valley Recreation Center. Phase 1 has been partially funded through a Neighborhood Purpose Grant from the Elysian Valley Riverside Neighborhood Council.
MURAL THEME AND PROJECT OVERVIEW: We would like the mural to reflect Past, Present and Future of Elysian Valley / Frogtown including the history of the area from the time the Tongva people inhabited the land along the LA River through modern times with a view toward the future.
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The neighborhood is rich with history, artistry, creativity, diversity and an entrepreneurial spirit. A successful mural will convey this diversity of our neighborhood in the work.
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Our first community workshop on November 4th 2023 invited input from Elysian Valley stakeholders and created a community design process for the public art project.
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SPONSORS
MURALIST SELECTION PROCESS: We published a muralist RFQ and received multiple excellent submissions. Three finalists were selected and they will move forward in the Elysian Valley Recreation Center Mural Project. The finalists were chosen by a panel of community stakeholders, arts administrators and residents:
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Leslie Campisi - Marketing Specialist, Board Member Elysian Valley Riverside Neighborhood Council
Dario Herrera - Community Programs Mgr. Clockshop
Patricia Perez - Artist, Vice President Elysian Valley Arts Collective
Damian Robledo - Architect, Board Member Elysian Valley Arts Collective
Christine Rodriguez - Artist, Retired Librarian, Long-time Elysian Valley resident
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For photos of the Elysian Valley Recreation Center, click here.
FINALISTS
PAUL BOTELLO: A contemporary artist, muralist and educator, Paul was born and raised in East Los Angeles. Paul has painted many well-known murals around Los Angeles and abroad. Paul was awarded one of 9 "Angele Awards" by the City of Los Angeles and Mayor Karen Bass for his over 30 years of community service. His list of accomplishments is long; he has created 50 murals in 35 years. His latest is called "I believe in you" and is installed at Esteban Torres High School.
Work Sample (this is not the mural proposed for this project.)
NICOLAS FREEMAN: Born and raised in Chicago, Nicholas is well-versed in several art mediums, including painting and murals, graphic design and cartoon illustration. He founded the Finch Gallery in Chicago, an independent project space for working and student artists.He now resides in the West Adams area of LA. He has created commissioned murals for the City of Santa Monica, Westwood City Council, and private clients in the US and abroad.
Work Sample (this is not the mural proposed for this project)
MILTON "MAJA" JURADO: MAJA is a multidisciplinary artist from Ecuador. He came to Los Angeles in 1972 and become one of the founding artists at Self-help Graphics and Art and helped to develop their annual Dia de Los Muertos event. He is a master at the art of Masapan; Ecuadorian bread dough art. MAJA paints cityscapes of Los Angeles, and his murals can be found around the LA Area.
Work Sample (this is not the mural proposed for this project)
MENTORSHIP: The selected muralist will mentor young artists (ages 18-24) in all stages of designing, planning and implementing a mural on city or private property in Elysian Valley. The mentorship will include all facets of creating murals including design, plans and proposals, sourcing supplies and equipment, permitting, techniques, graffiti abatement and production of the mural.