San Fernando : Kids’ Mural Envisions Spectrum of Life

A 100-foot-long mural funded by United Way and painted by San Fernando youth of all ages and backgrounds was dedicated yesterday at St. Ferdinand Catholic Church.

Funded through a $7,000 grant from the United Way North Angeles Region, the mural focuses on two themes: multiculturalism and respect for the Earth.

“It’s probably the most colorful thing within miles of here,” said mural director Elizabeth Mathias, the Venice-based visual artist who taught a seven week summer art class to about 95 San Fernando students, ages 5 to 20.

“When we started back in July, the slate was clean,” Mathias said. “The only thing I wanted from them, I said, was their imagination. They went from really rigid thought processes to something that is reminiscent of an impressionist landscape.”

The mural, across the street from the church, depicts transitions through time and nature, from the prehistoric days of dinosaurs into the future. “The theme became: People of all races, creeds and colors need to work together, and then, maybe we will have some of the Earth left to share with each other,” Mathias said.

United Way officials said the project was a success, in part because it brought together so many different elements of the community.

“There were kids of all ages, families, parents, blind children, mentally challenged kids, everybody in that community was involved,” Roy Mata, a United Way staff member, said.

St. Ferdinand Church is at 1109 Coronel St.