Fullerton's Mural-Destroying Past

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Posted by Gustavo Arellano in Gunkist Memories

April 16, 2008 10:10 AM

Permalink | Comments (9)

Got an op-ed piece in today's Los Angeles Times regarding a ridiculous proposal by pendejo Fullerton Councilmember Shawn Nelson to rid the city of the Chicano-themed murals decorating the Lemon Street overpass just south of Valencia because he thinks that'll stop crime. Faithful readers will recognize that covering the county's Chicano murals is a mini-beat of mine. But one of you pointed out to me that eliminating murals is a Fullerton passion regardless of ethnicity.

In the hallways of Fullerton Union High School's Plummer Auditorium stands "Pastoral California" (shown at left), a magnificent mural commissioned by the Works Progress Administration during the 1930s depicting Mexican laborers and the county's Californio pioneers. It was whitewashed in 1939 after school trustees deemed it "vulgar," although local historians don't know what was so offensive about the images depicted. My tipster, on the other hand, is smarter than that: "It was waaayyy too 'ethnic' for the image the then city fathers wanted to portray. After all, it could hardly be appropriate to celebrate -even a romanticized vision of early California, if the descendants of the subjects portrayed were not allowed to attend the school on which the fresco adorned now would it?"

Everyone: email Shawn Nelson at his work email, snelson@rizioandnelson.com, and tell him what an idiot he is and to leave the Lemon Street overpass murals alone. (I'd usually put a councilmember's city email address, but Fullerton has a general one for all councilmembers so fuck it)

Comments (9)

anthony avalos says:
April 16, 2008 16:09

first of all.. we need to stop him.. we have too... hes messing up our city history!!!!! we have to stop him..lets protest!!!

baxter says:
April 16, 2008 18:46

Gustavo, I'm very pleased you have written about this. Great piece in the Times today also. People showed up at last night's council meetings and at least for now Nelson has been put in check. Nelson's ignorance touched a nerve, consequently members from the surrounding neighborhood spoke up eloquently last night and Mayor Sharon Quirk has promised that nothing will be done with the murals without further discussions and community input. Nelson wanted them covered up immediately ... so some good news.

We need to keep up the pressure if it were to come to a vote today it would probably go 3-2 in favor of removal.

I wrote this little blurb in the Observer last week. (pg 5)

http://www.fullertonobserver.com/artman/uploads/fomaprils.pdf

Unimpressed says:
April 16, 2008 19:54

Good post, Gustavo. You can write. You are informative and you've got the alt attitude. So, what's the deal with this Derek O guy on your staff? He's constantly writing crap. Reprinting a school awards press release in Navel Gazing?

Gustavo Arellano says:
April 16, 2008 20:29

Anthony: Get in contact with baxter, as he's more plugged into Fullerton politics than I am.

Baxter: Gracias for the kind words. And keep up the pressure--Nelson's a moron

Unimpressed: Gracias for the kind words, but be nice to Derek!

Gustavo Arellano says:
April 16, 2008 23:01

Folks: Por favor continue the conversation over here.

Chris aka Sancho says:
April 17, 2008 01:55

I just wanted to thank Gustavo for writing your article on this topic. I am glad that others do care about the murals. I was one of the people that spoke out last night, in fact I was the first person to address the topic. And I wanted to tell everyone this is only one step that we took. Just because there where promises being made last night doesn't mean that they can't find a way around them. But as corny as this sounds, I created a myspace for the saving of the murals. the link is: www.myspace.com/thetownilive
you can go there and read the blogs on whats going on and see the videos that I myself have posted up. I will update it with any new info that includes the murals. And if there is any type of meetings or need of protest, you can find it out my the myspace. But once again, thank you Mr. Arellano. I am glad that there is more people backing us.

-Chris aka Sancho

Amused on Grand Ave. says:
April 17, 2008 07:33

Hi Gustavo: Somebody took down Derek Olson's Wednesday post that was nothing but a press release from Bank of America. How will I now remember who won all those school awards? Oh, well. I am going to check the Navel Gazing all day today in hopes that Olson will repost the entire lunch menu for an Orange County high school.

Dense says:
April 17, 2008 11:04

Perhaps I'm just too dense, but what the hell do the Lemon St. murals have to do with crime? I've poured over pics of them, and I just can't figure out what this Shawn Nelson is on about? It can't be that an elected city official in the 21st century is merely acting out of racism, can it? Or maybe he just wants to paint everything in Southern Cal. in nice shades of safe, warm, unoffensive beige, bisque, sand and khaki?

anthony avalos says:
April 18, 2008 16:39

is there any good news about saving the murals.... is this man serious about it!!!!!!! NELSON the council man!! we need to take action!!

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