Martin Del Campo 1

Morgan Martin Del Campo

Razzan Zahra

LIBS 101: The Human Enigma

1 October, 2023

Building Community Through Art

The three aspects that distinguish mural art are: they are visible to the community; they

start conversations about local and global issues; and they inspire others to take action. A mural

is defined as a painting or other work of art executed directly on a wall. Therefore, they are a

timeless and essential part of building strong communities. Murals have also been used

worldwide as a form of protest. When injustices occur, art is one form of expressing political

opinions. Murals are unique because they involve the community joining in solidarity with one

another. Not only do they help spread awareness, they also highlight a town's vibrant history,

culture, and unique qualities. These art pieces are free for everyone to see; you do not have to go

to an art gallery to experience the art.

Mural artists try to convey messages that serve their community. Chicano Park, a mural

project based in Logan Heights, San Diego’s oldest Mexican American neighborhood, focuses on

the experiences of the Chicanx community reclaiming space in the United States. Recently,

members of the community celebrated a new mural dedicated to the ban on the short-handled

hoe. The piece is titled “Victoria Contra el Cortito”, meaning “Win Against el Cortito”. Emily

Alvarenga from The San Diego Union-Tribune writes, “Last week, the Jourdanes stood proudly

beneath the newest addition to Chicano Park’s collection of vibrant murals: “El Cortito,” which

commemorates the ruling that dramatically changed working conditions for California
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farmworkers”. Maurice “Mo” Jourdane was the attorney

that fought to ban the short handled hoe, and the mural

commemorates his hard work. The art is responding to

decades of mistreatment and exploitation of agricultural and

seasonal workers. The words on the mural read “Si Se

Puede!”, which can mean “Yes we can,” or “It can be done.”

This has been the United Farm Workers motto since 1972.

Artwork like this was popular in the 1970s when figures

like Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta fought for

farmworker rights. Artists like Malaquias Montoya and Juan

R. Fuentes were at the forefront of the art movement at the

time. In an article titled ‘As liberation struggles endure, so does Chicano protest art’, Montse

Reyes quotes Malaquias Montoya and states, “It was a time of awakening... and (many of us

found) that we came from a long, beautiful history and culture that most of us didn’t know

anything about”. For residents of Logan Heights, murals were used as a way to spread awareness

about current issues and foster a strong community bond. The art serves to show tangible

evidence that success is possible despite obstacles and roadblocks. It emphasizes that through an

organized group effort, real change can occur.

A beautiful way to promote local spaces is through mural art, since the large designs

catch people's attention and make a city more interesting. Muralists are able to highlight the

history of the city and promote what is going on locally. "SPS dedicates this stunning new art

installation to the citizens of Santa Rosa and especially to our Coffey Park community. The

design reflects the area’s rich heritage, with seven large panels, each celebrating a unique aspect
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of our local gifts—from the

remarkable Charles M. Schulz

Museum and the Luther

Burbank Home & Gardens to

Downtown Santa Rosa’s

Railroad Square Historic District

and Sonoma County’s

magnificent redwood forests” (Santa Rosa Metro Chamber). The mural pictured above was made

by artist Jerry Ragg. Art like this showcases the physical beauty of nature around us. Murals of

painted landscapes highlight the unique environment they are in, and this varies from city to city.

Muralists can highlight the works of local figures, and create a legacy. The mural below

was created by artist Rima Makaryan, one of the many students activist D’mitra Smith mentored.

It is displayed on the side of the Sonoma Originals skate shop in Boyes Hot Springs. Smith spent

eight years on the Sonoma County

Human Rights Commission, and

according to Emily Charrier, editor

and publisher of The Sonoma Index

Tribune, “As far as we can tell, it’s

the only permanent public

celebration of a black woman in

Sonoma County''. Murals have the power to show a community's success and progress. This type

of mural art challenges white privilege by making people of colors’ successes visible to the

public. It is important that residents feel represented in their community and like they have a
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voice. Murals are an incredible tool because they make art accessible to everyone, whether in

person or through photographs.

John Berger’s book, Ways of Seeing, describes the relationship between art, pictures, and

perception. He emphasizes how subjective perception is and that people innately place judgment

on everything they perceive. This also applies to images, since they are inherently biased. The

photographer carefully curated the shot; you are not experiencing the art firsthand; rather, you

are experiencing a reproduction of the art. “The art of the past no longer exists as it once did... In

its place, there is a language of images. What matters now is who uses that language for what

purpose. A people or a class that is cut off from its own past is far less free to choose and act as a

people or class than one that has been able to situate itself in history. That is why... the entire art

of the past has now become a political issue."(Berger 33). This is reflected in the increased

spread of misinformation we experience, which affects people's ability to recognize others and

their own personal biases. A poll conducted by the Pew Research Center shows, “More than

nine-in-ten journalists surveyed (94%) say made-up news and information is a significant

problem in America today”. It is important that people have accurate information and are aware

of what is happening on a larger scale, so that communities can work together towards a common

goal. Representation matters, but as Claudia Rankine mentions in Citizen, “No amount of

visibility will alter the ways in which one is perceived” (Rankine 24). Our inherent biases are

present wherever we go and affect how we see the world. Murals used in protests work towards

challenging these biases.

Politics and street art go hand in hand; when there is political turmoil, there is protest art.

Murals have been used during many different protests and movements, especially during Black

Lives Matter protests. According to The Pennsylvania College of Art and Design’s website,
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“PCA&D’s Art Garden is an open green space adjacent to the Lancaster City Police station.

Because of its location in the city, the plot organically became a hub for protests and mourning in

the wake of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis during the Spring of 2020 and throughout the

following summer. We were privileged to provide this resource for the community, where

Lancaster Public Art worked with

local artists to transform it into a

cathartic creative zone.” Local artists

used the space to commemorate the

victims of police brutality and

violence, emphasizing their names and

the words “Never Forget”. The piece is

titled “Say Their Names” and was created by Keisha Finnie, Adam Serrano, Kaya Hobbs, and

Kearasten Jordan. This is impactful because news outlets and journalists often emphasize what

the victim did wrong, placing the blame on the victim rather than the attacker. Media is used as a

way to slander victims, deeming their deaths less important because of unrelated factors.

Regardless of what the victim was doing, violence and murder are unjust. Murals are a way of

illustrating a different version of the story that the media has portrayed.

It is clear that mural art as a whole is made by the people for the people. Muralists are

able to embrace their unique values, cultures, and beliefs, as well as the shared experiences of

minority groups, like the art pieces in Chicano Park. These pieces represent communities in a

positive light and show progress towards a better future. This can apply to every aspect of life

because any work of art can be a mural as long as it is directly on a wall. Murals have been used

for thousands of years as a form of expression, whether in the political or artistic sense.
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Works Cited

Alvarenga, Emily. “Chicano Park’s New Mural Celebrates a San Diego Lawyer’s Historic

Victory for Farm Workers. For the Artist, the Victory Is Personal.” Tribune, San Diego

Union-Tribune, 4 July 2023,

www.sandiegouniontribune.com/local/story/2023-07-04/new-chicano-park-mural-comme

morates-historic-victory-for-california-farmworkers.

Emily Alvarenga is the community reporter for the San Diego Union-Tribune,

which is important to note because it shows she is knowledgeable about the

community she is reporting on. This art piece made an impact on the San Diego

Chicanx community, and this is reflected in the thorough report on the new mural.

Atske, Sara. “2. Journalists Highly Concerned about Misinformation, Future of Press Freedoms.”

Pew Research Center’s Journalism Project, Pew Research Center, 14 June 2022,

www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2022/06/14/journalists-highly-concerned-about-misinf

ormation-future-of-press-freedoms/.

The author, Sara Atske, has a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Harvard

University and is an active member of the Harvard Crimson, a newspaper run by

Harvard undergraduates, as well as the National Association of Black Journalists.

Atske publishes articles at Pew Research Center, a reputable nonpartisan group

that publishes research articles that have been thoroughly reviewed.

Berger, John. Ways of seeing. Penguin Classics, 2008.

John Berger wrote the essay Ways of Seeing,where he criticized art and broke

down human perception. He was known as a novelist, painter, art critic, and poet.

Blackwell, Christopher, et al. “How Police and Media Portrayals Demonize Black Victims of

Police Violence.” The Appeal,

theappeal.org/how-police-and-media-portrayals-demonize-black-victims-of-police-violen

ce/. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

Christopher Blackwell is a journalist from Washington who is currently serving a

45 year sentence. This is important because he advocates for incarcerated

individuals and gives people a voice.

Charrier, Emily. “Editorial: A Mural That Matters.” Sonoma Index-Tribune, The Sonoma

Index-Tribune, 23 July 2021,

www.sonomanews.com/article/opinion/editorial-a-mural-that-matters/.

Emily Charrier is a writer for The Press Democrat, The Sonoma Index-Tribune,

and covers stories in Napa, Santa Rosa, and Sonom county. She is knowledgeable

on local events/news.

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design. “Art Garden: Black Lives Matter.” Pennsylvania College

of Art & Design, 1 Mar. 2023, pcad.edu/art-garden-black-lives-matter/.

This information is posted on the Pennsylvania College of Art & Design’s official

website, making it an accurate representation of the school.

Rankine, Claudia. Citizen: An American Lyric. Penguin, 2015.

Citizen by Claudia Rankine is a collection of poetry and freewriting that shows

the perspective of a person of color living in the United States, and is a response

to racism and violence.

Reyes, Montse. “As Liberation Struggles Endure, so Does Chicano Protest Art.” Datebook,

Datebook | San Francisco Arts & Entertainment Guide, 29 June 2020,

datebook.sfchronicle.com/art-exhibits/as-liberation-struggles-endure-so-does-chicano-pro

test-art.

Montse Reyes has eight years of experience writing and editing, with a focus on

the relationship between race, gender, and class. She is the Communications and

Storytelling Manager for Represent Justice, a non profit organization in Los

Angeles, California, that advocates for people's legal rights.

“Security Public Storage Mural Unveiling.” Santa Rosa Metro Chamber of Commerce - Security

Public Storage Mural Unveiling, 20 Apr. 2021,

www.santarosametrochamber.com/blog/2021/04/20/member/security-public-storage-mur

al-unveiling/.

The Santa Rosa Metro Chamber of Commerce is an organization that helps

connect business with the community to work together to help each other. Mural

art was a tool used to bring businesses and people living in Santa Rosa together.