At long last, a contract has been signed to restore the mural that once covered the long wall on Marmion Way leading up to the Southwest Museum of the American Indian in Mount Washington. The signatories are the Autry Museum of the American West, which owns the Southwest Museum, Avenue 50 Studio in Highland Park, which has been responsible for safekeeping of the money raised for the restoration, and Pola Lopez, the artist who will restore the mural.
All three parties confirmed to the Boulevard Sentinel that the contract has been signed.
The mural, painted in 2004 by local artist Daniel Cervantes, consisted of nine intricate panels depicting Native American culture. Over the years, it was repeatedly and extensively damaged by graffiti and was eventually whitewashed. A fundraising effort to restore the mural got underway in 2015. Ms. Lopez, a renowned muralist, agreed to take on the project because Mr. Cervantes was not available.
The newly signed contract will allow the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs to release $10,000 that was pledged to the project by the office of NELA’s City Councilmember Gil Cedillo, said Ms. Gallegos. In all, $26,000 was raised, which is the sum the Autry required to begin the restoration.
Ms. Lopez told the Boulevard Sentinel that she expects to start work on the mural as soon as she finishes up a current project at York Park in August. The restoration is expected to take several months.
