Heading Southbound on the I-5 in San Diego, painted pillars peek out from underneath the Coronado Bridge. Upon closer inspection, bright, contrasting colors and mysterious make up a collection of murals forming a massive open-air gallery also known as Chicano Park.
Time has taken a toll on the murals. Their colors have faded but after jumping through bureaucratic hoops and hurdles, a renovation project was approved in 2008. With the support of Caltrans and other federal grants, the brush meets once again with concrete in the most ambitious restoration project in Chicano Park history. The Chicano Park mural restoration project was awarded a $1.6 million federal grant, which is being administered by Caltrans. Though the grant was approved in 2002, the formidable task of reconditioning the park’s murals was not initiated until June of 2011.
One of the original painters of the Chicano Park murals, Guillermo Rosette has returned to the barrio from Taos, New Mexico. He came to restore the murals he created with one of the founding groups, Toltecas En Aztlán. With each stroke of paint he has injected a vibrant Tolteca energy back into the park.
“Someone who embodies the Tolteca spirit is an artist that likes to help his or her community in doing social artwork,” said Rosette. “Volunteering in the community is a good way to give, it’s a way to be thankful for all that we receive.”
In the heart of the park stands a mysterious building shrouded in opaque plastic sheeting. Former Chicano Studies professor at San Diego State University, Felipe Adame sits in a wheelchair on top of the scaffolding, overseeing his team restore the ceiling of the kiosko, a gazebo-like structure designed like a Mayan temple.
“Look at all the materials that we have now,” said Adame. “When we first painted the murals we used to borrow house paints, borrow scaffolds and ladders. When we first did this mural here, we were on a rinky dink little ladder.”
Ana Brown, member of the art collective The Roots Factory based in Barrio Logan, said she understands the value of the underlying dynamics the restoration project has ignited. Volunteering to be a team member for Adame is a way for her to give back and honor those who created a beautiful neighborhood gathering place.
“With love, kindness and understanding, we enhance these pillars. We have one chance, one chance only to do it right,” Adame said. “We’ve been granted the money to do this, so we do the best we can.”
The work, overseen by the Chicano Park Steering Committee, is expected to be completed in July of 2012. Residents and visitors of Barrio Logan will have freshly coated murals to enjoy for at least another forty years.
