Week 9

An artist that really stood out to me in last week's presentations was Judy Baca. Specifically, I loved learning about the Great Wall of Los Angeles. I've never had the opportunity to visit the wall, but from what I have learned about it, it's a mural that was created in the 1950s that pays homage largely to the unison and coexistence of communities of color and other mixed backgrounds in Los Angeles, and was creating with the helping hands of over 400 youth and their families, representing different backgrounds. Through each year that the half-mile mural was worked on, there were community gatherings to discuss and learn about the histories that were to be added onto the mural, ranging from the Mesozoic era to the 20th century, although the mural continues to be restored today. Being from Northern California, I know very little about muralists in Southern California, so it's amazing to learn about it in this class. Judy Baca's work, among others, is what makes LA feel like my second home. Although I've been living in LA for nearly four years now, it was only over the past year that I really started to explore what Los Angeles has to offer outside of the constraints of the pretentious West LA, and it's the best decision I have ever made. Piñata district, Echo Park, the representation of people who look like me all over this city, and the murals surrounding them have really manifested my love for LA.