5-Story Mural by Acclaimed Artist May Become Beacon of Hope at Jail

The normally drab north face of the downtown County Jail, which greets motorists exiting Interstate 5 on Front Street, soon could be home to a colorful mural depicting a positive message about children around the world.

At no cost to the county, an acclaimed local artist is proposing to re-create the mural, which he painted in 1979 to commemorate the United Nations’ International Year of the Child.

The mural depicts a child in a large, outstretched hand, encased by two concentric circles made up of different national flags. The original 4-by-4-foot mural was painted 11 years ago by nationally known Peruvian-American muralist Mario Acevedo Torero, a San Diego resident.

The project took shape Tuesday when the county Board of Supervisors heard a request from San Diego Deputy Mayor Bob Filner that the supervisors approve the painting of the mural--entitled “The Child”--on the jail’s north wall, facing B Street.

The supervisors voted unanimously to refer the item to its nine-member County Public Arts Advisory Council for further study, according to Supervisor Brian Bilbray. The arts panel will make its recommendation at a later session.

Torero could not be reached for comment Tuesday but called the mural “a message of peace and hope” in an earlier interview.

Largely because of the artistic efforts of Torero and unrelenting promotional efforts by county resident Dan Garcia, the original mural and various-sized reproductions have been circulated worldwide.

The original painting, on exhibit at the United Nations for one year, was presented to Pope John Paul II in 1980. It now hangs in the Vatican, Filner said.

In addition, reproductions of the mural were presented to Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, England’s Princess Anne and President Ronald Reagan. But Garcia said his efforts have finally brought him home to San Diego.

“Because it started here, we thought it would be significant if the mural were done here,” he said. Torero and Garcia said they are actively trying to raise the $12,500 it would cost to complete the jail project by mid-May.

But first, Torero, whose murals already adorn the sides of several San Diego buildings as well as others in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and elsewhere, began looking for a San Diego site that would provide “The Child” with maximum exposure, Filner said. So he took his idea to Filner, who had appointed Torero to the city arts commission.

“The jail seemed like the perfect place. . . . It’s five stories high, it’s ugly, and it faces a very visible street,” Filner said. “It was such a crazy idea, I thought it would work,” he said.

Filner said the symbol seeks to bring peace to the world through children, who are the future.

“Not only would it beautify downtown, but it would be very thought-provoking because its a very meaningful painting,” he said. “It’s especially meaningful given the building it would be painted on.”

Before Filner wrote his letter of support for the mural to the Board of Supervisors he approached Sheriff Jim Roache, who liked the idea of the mural on the side of a county building that houses about 723 accused and convicted prisoners.

“I think that one of the purposes of the criminal justice system is to ensure that children grow up to be healthy, positive influences of society,” Roache said. “Besides, the wall back there is very drab.”

Referring the item to the Advisory Council was more of a courtesy and an effort to garner public opinion than a sign of future rejection, Bilbray said.