Mural Dedication Ceremony for Richmond Identities
“Richmond Identities: Extraordinary Lives/Ordinary People”
On Sunday, November 3rd at 2:00 pm the Richmond Arts & Culture Commission will dedicate the new mural at the Richmond Senior Center, 2525 Macdonald Avenue, Richmond, CA. Speakers will be Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, and artist Judy Baca. Entertainment will be provided by In Xochitl In Cuicatl, Aztec Dancers. Light refreshments will be served.
The mural is called “Richmond Identities: Ordinary Lives/Extraordinary People,” and was painted by artist Judy Baca of SPARC (Social & Public Art Resource Center) from UCLA. From a city Neighborhood Public Art project that spanned three years, content was contributed by Richmond residents at community workshops. The mural was painted and digitally reproduced onto special outdoor vinyl, which was adhered to the wall. The site is on the exterior wall of the Senior Center on Macdonald Avenue behind the Library, and covers the span of Richmond’s history.
Panel I: Judy Baca worked with Richmond residents at four workshops to gather stories, memorabilia, and photos about local families and cultures…starting with Native American inhabitants at the Santa Fe Village, and their local history.
Panel II: Next, the Spanish era and the industrialization of the region, including Winehaven, the Pullman Company, canneries, greenhouses, Standard Oil, and a wide range of jobs in the labor force.
Panel III: The WWII panel depicts the influx of workers to the Richmond shipyards, bringing the population from 23,600 to 93,700 in 3 years. Parents’ ID cards became the mural’s overall theme.
Panel IV: The Southeast Asian panel reflects the rich mixture of Lao, Thai, Sikh, and Mien immigrants who have faced war and exile, and traveled thousands of miles to make Richmond their home.
Panel IV: The current youth and green movements help us imagine Richmond’s future. Urban agriculture groups, solar companies, our black churches and music legends, and several of Richmond’s community heroes are captured together in a grand vision of where we came from and where we’re going.
The Richmond Arts & Culture Commission invites you to this local celebration Sunday, Nov. 3rd at 2:00pm.
———–
For more information, contact Michele Seville, Arts & Culture Manager, City of Richmond at 510-620-6952 or Michele_seville@ci.richmond.ca.us.