Global Courant 2023-04-30 08:24:33
The mural stands 10 feet tall and stretches for more than 9,000 feet along Crenshaw Boulevard in the heart of South LA. It features striking images of Frederick Douglas, Harriett Tubman, Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. and many other heroes of the Black community.
“Our Mighty Contribution,” as the artwork is called, has been a powerful representation of African American history and neighborhood pride since its completion in 2002.
On Saturday, dozens of artists who participated in its creation over the years gathered at the site between 49th and 51st Streets for an event called “Pull Up at the Wall” to discuss both the history of the mural and plans to recreate the artwork. to be updated – now faded and peeling – as part of the $100 million Destination Crenshaw project, a 1.3-mile monument to Black LA
Destination Crenshaw is expected to be completed in 2024.
“I am very pleased that the wall will be preserved and updated,” says Mark Steven Greenfield, 72, who was one of the original murals. “I’m kind of excited about the idea of new artists coming in and doing things with them. Because our original vision was that the wall itself would evolve over time. It was kind of like this community billboard.
Artists gather at the mural known as “Our Mighty Contribution” in South Los Angeles on Saturday. “I am very pleased that the wall will be preserved and updated,” says Mark Steven Greenfield, 72, who was one of the original murals.
(Astrid Kayembe/Los Angeles Times)
The wall was originally a canvas for local graffiti artists, but was later adopted by a group of painters known as Rocking the Nation Crew who helped with the idea of highlighting black history with Crenshaw as the backdrop.
While the mural is still in the design stage, senior art and exhibition consultant Joy Simmons said the new iteration will feature Black Hollywood celebrities and local icons like the late mayor Tom Bradley. It will also feature an image of a future Black LA
The mural will be “a visual timeline, like a movie, so to speak” of black life in Los Angeles, said RTN member Eric “Cre8” Walker. Construction of a viewing platform will begin in a few weeks and the artwork is expected to be completed in early fall.
The historically black neighborhood has already begun gentrification, and with the approaching arrival of the Metro Crenshaw/LAX line, known as the K Line, Walker and Greenfield agreed that it is increasingly important to capture as much of the history of the area as possible. keep the neighborhood.
“We understand that with the subway, gentrification is going to happen in this community…so I think the idea of putting in this cultural footprint, prior to that kind of gentrification, is really valuable,” Greenfield said. “Maybe at some point it will inspire people who are new to this neighborhood not only to be proud of, but to expand creatively in terms of how can we contribute to that dialogue that was established so many years ago.”
The mural project is part of the overall revitalization of the area and is located across the street from what will become the 50th Street pocket park. The project has been underway since 2017, involving hundreds of local residents and entrepreneurs and dozens of artworks will be commissioned.
Participating artists include Alison Saar, Artis Lane, Brenna Youngblood and Kehinde Wiley, who painted the 2018 portrait of President Obama for the Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery.
Aise Born, an artist, grew up marveling at ‘Our Mighty Contribution’. While he didn’t get a chance to work on the mural, he’s excited to work on the new iteration and hopes the young Angelenos will be inspired as he was.
“If someone doesn’t know himself, he doesn’t know his culture,” he said. “When you look at this wall, it’s like looking back at the past, present, and future and having some kind of inspiration for life.”
