[LAist] LA’s ‘Great Wall’ mural expansion won’t be done until 2027, but you can take a peek now

By Caitlin Hernández
Published Jul 25, 2024 9:13 AM

The Great Wall of Los Angeles — a historic outdoor mural documenting California’s history — is already one of the largest in the world. Now it’s being expanded.

The colorful mural stretches more than a half-mile along the L.A. River network on the Tujunga Wash, depicting scenes from prehistoric times to the 1950s. The expansion is meant to bring the mural’s scenes up to the 21st century.

About the expansion

Last October, artist Judy Baca began work with a team of artists inside the L.A. County Museum of Art in what was, in essence, a live exhibit.

In the Resnick Pavilion, visitors could watch as painters placed thousands of acrylic brush strokes on a huge roll of unwoven fabric. Baca said the studio-style process took her out of her element.

“I must say that I was very skeptical about painting in a white box,” Baca told the crowd at a recent press event. “I don’t paint in white boxes. I paint in rivers and I paint on freeways. I paint in places where it’s dangerous.”

But this was a different kind of artistic danger, she said, because people could directly question the artists about the scenes being painted. The work included scenes from the Chicano movement, the Watts Renaissance and LGBTQ+ rights protests, ultimately covering 190 feet of additions.

The team’s time at LACMA ended on July 21, but the expansion is far from over. They’ll continue painting at the Bergamot Station Art Center starting Aug. 2, with a view to adding historic moments from around the 1970s, including Jimi Hendrix scenes and Woodstock.

“That will prove to be as interesting, and maybe a little even more controversial,” Baca said.

She expects to add another 200 feet of art in this phase, finishing in 2027 (in time for the Olympics). While the painting continues, here’s a look at what’s been added.

[Read the full article here]