Committee mulls mural as artist plans revisions
SAMOHI — It’s back to the drawing board for artist Jun Cha, a student here whose design for a school mural promoting peace and racial harmony was rejected earlier this week by a committee charged with approving public art on campus.
Cha, 17, was asked to design the mural by a student group, Against All Odds, which has been working to unite Santa Monica High School following incidents of racial conflict on campus over the past year. The group wants to create a mural that will 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 earlier this year by a suspected gang member.
“The mural is supposed to symbolize all of us coming together to try and take down the thing that is dividing us, with the gang-banging, drugs...” Cha said. “I’m willing to make changes to the mural as long as the original message of peace still stands.”
The mural, which some students hope to place near the center of campus, shows angry African-American and Hispanic men charging a black wall, some with their fists in the other while others are depicted throwing rocks or carrying bats to bash it down. Behind the wall are images of Mahatma Gandhi, Che Guevara, Dr. Martin Luther King, Notorious B.I.G. Tupac Shakur, John Lennon and Malcolm X. The word “peace” is written in bold, black letters against a blue and white background. Opposite, a man in the corner carries a banner that reads “bang the Hate.”
Lopez’image is also displayed prominently in the mural. The popular student-athlete is seen wearing his football jersey, leading the charge, something which his family and friends said he would do today if it was another student who fell victim to gang violence.
Members of the committee — which included art teachers, students, administrators and parents — felt the mural was too violent and did not convey the message Cha intended.
“I don’t believe the mural is appropriate for our high school,” said parent Louise Jaffe, past president of the Samohi Parent Teacher Association, who attended the mural committee meeting. “The artist said the mural was about people coming together for peace, but that was not the message I took from it. But we’ll see what happens. We had a good discussion, the process is moving forward and I think we will have a good outcome.”
Jaffe said it is important to follow the process and come up with a consensus, as the mural will be on display for generations to come.
Meanwhile, Against All Odds is circulating a petition to show student support for the mural. According to member Franky De La Torre, who says the student group is just trying “to do something positive,” they have already amassed more than 400 signatures in just a few days.
“Through this process, we are trying to show administrators that we can unite together,” said de la Torre.
The mural committee, which was formed in 1995 in response to wall deterioration resulting from students posting fliers and other notices, recommended Cha redesign the mural so that it includes women, more ethnicities and displays the word “Peace” more prominently. Cha was also asked to design the figures in a way that didn’t seem as menacing to some.
“It was a very powerful image and I was amazed that a high school student could create an image that had so much drama, so much energy to it.” said Samohi art instructor David Wood, co-chair of the mural committee. “It had a lot of angular shapes and lines which are very active and at times can be interpreted as somewhat violent. That’s not a critique on the message. The message is very inspiring. It’s a powerful piece and I would be very happy if I was the artist and was able to produce that.”
“It was a very powerful image and I was amazed that a high school student could create an image that had so much drama, so much energy to it.” — DAVID WOOD SAMOHI ART INSTRUCTOR
Wood said he was enthused by the fact that so many people attended the committee meeting, and that the discussion was civil.
“Sometimes when people feel passionate about things they start lobbing insults, but that didn’t happen here,” Wood said.
Cha said he was not offended by the comments from concerned parents, and is currently hard at work designing a mural following the requests of the committee. Still, he feels there is a disconnect between the adults on the committee and the students.
“Personally, I don’t think it’s violent,” he said. “I think the administrators, the parents, the teachers — they don’t really understand where we kids are coming from … It’s crazy out there right now with the gangs, the drugs. We have to come together now more than ever.
“There’s always going to be problems with murals, but the message we are trying to offer is positive and we are trying to do something good for the people of Santa Monica and for the school.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 12, 2006. Read the original PDF.