This weekend, The L.A. Works program, along with hundreds of volunteers from the community were in Cypress Park cleaning up the neighborhood. They were painting and planting plants at three neighborhood schools, cleaned up graffiti from store-fronts. Artist Raul Gonzalez, Ana Castillo, who’s art work is currently on exhibit inside Antigua, and Carlos Callejo were also commissioned to paint a mural at Antigua, receiving help from other artist and volunteers as they painted the wall this weekend.
The mural, “Queremos Justicia, Respeto, Paz y Dignidad,” is of Salvadorian activist AugustÃn Farabundo Martà RodrÃguez. I wasn’t able to attended the event, but I did stop by toward the end of the day to get my Mayan Moca on and to see the fruits of their labor.
Go check out the mural for yourself next time you’re in Cypress Park getting you java on. It’s a beautiful piece that adds some great character to an already great coffee house and barrio. There’s also a nice visual vibe going on with the graff across the street.
~ Photo by Raul Gonzalez
“Cuando la historia no se puede escribir con la pluma, entonces debe escribirse con el fusil”.- Farabundo Marti
Nice 🙂
Is there some sort of clean up volunteer crew for Boyle Heights?
I’d love to help clean up my neighborhood 🙂
Half of me has no problem picking up a broom and a trash bag but then the other half says, -isn’t it the city’s job first and foremost?? Shouldn’t I be bringing this to THEIR attention?
Hmmm….
my spam word was TAG IT. the irony.
i love the idea of people getting out and beautify the neighborhood the live in. Helps create a sense of pride in ones neighborhood as well as respect.
Personally i think its a shame that the city has to spend so much money cleaning up trimming trees and cleaning streets that are adjacent to businesses and private property. That money would be better spent on school and other programs or the city could stop nickel and diming residents.
Oh and ditto and the need for this in Boyle Heights.
And on a side note, a TV show is planning on cleaning up Hollenbeck junior high, with the help of volunteers i imagine.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lopezcolumn-20100606,0,341470.column
Wow. Great article OTS. As a Hollenbeck alumni I agree that school really needs some love and attention however, I dunno about it coming from TV execs. Just like the article said though, the work should be coming from the city but when the city can’t, people find themselves in desperate situations.
lol I remember when they painted the girls locker room some crazy awful looking colors years ago… We started calling it the clown college. They have since taken them down.
great work ana! saludos. d
Very Nice!
Props to big Chose, Utah St. School represent! I think Raul and the others are an example of community members proactively improving our communities, one wall/project at a time. All 3 artists have been improving the barrio for a long time, much of it pro bono or for whatever pesos they could scrounge together.
The eastside and other barrios are full of people helping keep up the community, it often makes up for insitutional and private neglect.
In terms of those wanting to create clean up projects in Boyle Heights or any other neighbrohood:
One resource is http://www.elacamp.org
East LA Community Art and Mural Program is a nonprofit organization dedicated to imrpoving the public space in LA’s urban neighborhoods. it is founded and run by Eastlos natives and facilitates cleanups, mural and community improvement projects. Beyond creating more comfortable and functional public space in blighted communities, Elacamp also serves as a catalyst for civic engagement and proactive community improvement for barrio residents.
Im sure raul and plenty others also run similar programs, props again to a dope mural!
Just a follow up, on Hollenbeck Middle School. Work on the school and begun, and its definitely worth passing by to catch a glimpse of it. I live next to the school and have seen some of the work unfold over the weeks. I wish i could have volunteered to help out, but i was unaware of the process and the registration deadline has lapsed.
They will be having a ribbon cutting ceremony on the 27th, if anyones interested in attending.
http://www.schoolpridevolunteers.com/form_hollenbeck.php
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