Student’s new vision wins approval as Samohi mural
SAMOHI — As an artist, one must be prepared for harsh criticism,especially when it comes to public displays.
Jun Cha, 17, a senior at Santa Monica High School, found out as much in May when a mural he designed for the student group Against All Odds — which has been working to unite Samohi in the wake of racial conflicts on campus last year — was rejected by a committee charged with approving public art on campus.
The artist then went back to the drawing board, re-emerging with a design for a kinder, gentler mural that was approved by that same committee this week.
The controversial rendering originally depicted angry African- American and Latino men charging a black wall, some with their fists in the air, while others were depicted throwing rocks or carrying bats to level it. Behind the wall were images of Gandhi, Che Guevara, Dr. Martin Luther King, John Lennon and rapper Tupac Shakur.
The word “peace” was written in bold, black letters against a blue and white background. In the opposite corner, a man carried a banner that read “Bang the Hate.”
The mural, which some students hoped to place near the center of campus, was intended to remind students about the dangers of discrimination and racial hatred, while simultaneously honoring Eduardo “Eddie” Lopez, a 15-year-old Samohi student who was killed in February by a suspected gang member while hanging out with friends on Pico Boulevard.
Lopez’ image was prominently displayed. The popular student-athlete was drawn wearing his football jersey, leading the charge, something which his family and friends said he would do today if it was another student who was the victim of gang violence.
At the time it was presented, members of the Samohi mural committee, comprised of art teachers, students, administrators and parents, felt the mural was too violent and did not convey the message Cha intended, which was to promote peace and unity.
Cha took suggestions from the committee, and earlier this week, his latest rendition was approved.
“The first mural received a lot of negative feedback because it was a little hostile and aggressive,” Cha said Friday. “I took the suggestions I was given and I think I came up with a mural that everyone can get behind.”
The mural committee, which was formed in 1995 in response to walls deteriorating because of students posting fliers and other notices, recommended Cha redesign the mural so that it included women, more eth-nicities and displayed the word “Peace”more prominently. Cha was also asked to design the figures in such a way that they didn’t seem as menacing.
The angry mob has been replaced by a multi-cultural group of men and women pulling down a crumbling wall that reads “Hate.” White doves can be seen flying through the air. Black, Latino and white hands are clasped together near a sign reading: “North, West, South, East.” Gone are the words “Bang The Hate,” along with the sharp, aggressive style Cha used to depict people in the crowd. Instead, “Peace” reigns throughout much of the mural.
“The meeting (with the mural committee) was good. People seemed to enjoy the mural,”Cha said.“I didn’t want to give up on it. I felt obligated to do something, not for Eddie necessarily, but for the fact that (gang violence) is going on and we need to be reminded that we need to stick together.
“Peace is not really a reality, and I don’t think it ever will be, but at least we can connect with one another at one point in time.”
Cha said the next step is finding a location to paint the image, something which will be discussed in the coming weeks.
School board member Oscar de la Torre, who runs the Pico Youth & Family Center, a community center for youth ages 16 to 24, said the mural will go a long way in uniting students.
“I thank the youth for leading the way and proposing a solution to past conflicts on campus,” said de la Torre, who supported Cha’s earlier work. “The mural itself is part of the solution, being that it symbolizes the peace we all must work for.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 7, 2006. Read the original PDF.