The Great Wall of Los Angeles is located in North Hollywood. This mural is about a half-mile long, and it depicts the cultural history of California starting from the prehistoric times (the dinosaurs) to the 1950s, which is when the Baby Boom occured. Judith Baca started on the mural in 1974 after being contacted by the Army Corps of Engineers. She stated that she wanted to use the space to “create public consciousness about people who are, in fact, the majority of the population, but who are not represented in public spaces in any visual way.” She wanted to place emphasis on the often overlooked history of Native Americans, minorities, LGBTQ-identified people and those fighting for Civil Rights. The last panel up to date was updated 1983, but it is still a work in progress. This is said to be the longest mural in the world. As of now, over 400 youths have worked on the mural, and most of the artists have come from low-income minority families.
There are multiple panels of the mural and each pertains to a period of great significance within the history of California. Most of the panels touch upon the diverse cultures of California (such as one panel that is titled Migrant California), but primarily depict the Hispanic culture. This is relevant to its location because North Hollywood’s population is comprised primarily of people of Hispanic descent. In fact, around 58.2% of the population in North Hollywood is Hispanic.
The mural also touches on important issues in America throughout the years, such as LGBTQ rights as well as the Civil Rights movement. Most of the panels showcase the hardships that the Hispanic population went through in California history, such as the deportation of over 500,000 Mexican-Americans in the 1930s.
Cultural Art: The Great Wall of
Los Angeles
Grace Kim '19