Community Mural Scheduled for Completion on Earth Day

Culver City, CA, April 22, 2009 – The Postcards from Ballona mural is scheduled for completion today, Earth Day, April 22, 2009. The mural is located on the bicycle path at Overland Avenue, behind the Julian Dixon Library branch in Culver City.

In 1995, three artists (Lori Escalera, Lucy Blake-Elahi, and Francois Bardol) and community volunteers—"The Ballona Creek Mural Committee"—conceived of an art project intended to beautify a section of the Ballona Creek bike path with “postcards” depicting the history of Culver City. (Ballona Creek was important to the livelihood of the Native Americans who once inhabited the area as well as the development of Culver City. For information on the early settlers and on Culver City, visit www.culvercity.org).

The scope of the project included gathering together local students, government, Culver City organizations, resident artists, and volunteers in order to create a sense of community involvement. The mural was completed in 1997.

In recent years, the mural has been subjected to vandalism and graffiti. With this restoration, the damage will be reversed.

As was the case when the mural was originally created, this restoration project is intended in part as a public awareness effort to help better protect the mural from future damage. Everybody is invited to come by, meet the artists, take photos, and view the mural as it nears completion.

For more information and to access downloadable photos and movie, please visit http://thestreetpainter.com/CommunityArt/UPCOMING%21.html