Los Angeles City Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez Friday will host a viewing of the work that is underway on a 10,000-square-foot mural being created in Pacoima.
The mural, titled “Rushing Waters,” took four years of planning and community outreach in the heart of Pacoima’s Mural Mile, the councilwoman said.
“Rushing Waters pays tribute to our heritage and captures the spirit of Pacoima,” Rodriguez said. “This type of investment in our community has been long overdue, and I am excited to be part of making herstory in our community.”
The art project began Nov. 4 and will be completed Nov. 27. It is located at the intersection of San Fernando Road and Paxton St. just off Highway 118.
The mural will show the history of Pacoima, a neighborhood located in the heart of the northeast San Fernando Valley known as the “Mural City,” and pays tribute to the area’s Native American heritage.
It will be the largest above-ground mural in the San Fernando Valley and will replace existing graffiti with an artistic history lesson.
The large painting will depict the landscape of the area and include the image of a 25-foot-tall native woman at its center. Other depictions include Hansen Dam, Whiteman Airport, local freeways, Sylmar Aqueduct, San Gabriel Mountains, the Los Angeles River and more.
The project is being curated by artist Levi Ponce and a team of muralists and graffiti artists, and received assistance from the Los Angeles Native American Commission, Walt Disney Imagineering designers, local businesses and local community leaders, Rodriguez said.
“This is a historic endeavor, and my team and I are extremely honored to be trusted with a project that means so much to Pacoima and what it will represent for generations to come,” Ponce said. “We hope this project serves as a catalyst for change not only in art but for the people of this beautiful city.”
Rushing Waters is the “most significant” public art project in the San Fernando Valley since 1978, the councilwoman said.