For years, the corner of Euclid and Groveland, across from Food 4 Less, was nothing more than a plot of dried up land and an old fence that separated it from the house next door. If you happened to drive by that corner August the 3rd, however, you would’ve seen a much different sight, a bunch of paint-splattered kids and adults with paint brushes in hand intently focused on their sections as they transformed that fence turned canvas into a work of art. There was plenty of paint to go around, thanks to a donation from California Marine Cleaning, as members of the community added a little more color and life to their neighborhood. In speaking on the mural’s theme, Brian Pollard, the man behind the project said, “I just wanted something happy and healthy…w
e’re just trying to build up the neighborhood. We’ve already got Malcolm X Library, and the Caesar Chavez center, it’s time move forward, lets keep it going!” Students from the Art Institute in Mission Valley voluntarily designed the mural, scaled it and picked the colors, all that was left was for the residents of the area to come out and fill it in. This mural is the first step in a series of urban collaborations projects to come. Along with possibly turning the area in front of the mural into a small park, complete with grass and benches, there are also plans in the works for more beautification projects, clean-ups, home makeovers, and crime prevention in several more neighborhoods.
