Guide Entry to 26.02.09
Public art can both tell and create the story of a community. Imposing and dramatic statues tell people who is important enough to be remembered, somber and expensive monuments tell people what is important enough to remember. But who is left out of these stories? How can we use public art to tell a more inclusive history?
This unit uses the mural Great Wall of Los Angeles by Judy Baca to introduce these concepts to my students. A masterpiece of the Chicana Muralism movement, the Great Wall tells an expansive and inclusive history of Los Angeles. Using this template, Richmond students, many of whom are first- and second-generation immigrants from Latin America, will explore, research, and represent artistically the ethnic history of Richmond, a city with little prior history of Latin American immigration. By the end of the unit, students will use Mexican Muralist techniques, Baca’s narrative philosophies and techniques, and extensive primary source research to create their own Great Wall of Richmond.
(Developed for After School Art, grades 9-12; recommended for Art 1-4, grades 9-12)
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