New Mural Unveiled at Recreation Center

The worn facade of the Reseda Park Recreation Center received a welcome boost Thursday as art students from Reseda High School unveiled a new mural illustrating a bright and peaceful underwater scene.

Rich hues of green and yellow depict a school of fish feeding in a garden of sun-streaked pond lilies in “Dream City Fish,” which was designed by Reseda senior Shen Liska.

“This makes me feel really good. I live right down the street so I’m always seeing it,” said Shen.

“I will come back a few years later on and see my art work up there and know that I contributed something to the city.”

The mural was funded by a $5,000 grant from the Cultural Affairs Department and is the first in a series of murals planned for the recreation center, said Councilwoman Laura Chick, who led a dedication ceremony for the art work Thursday morning.

“Eventually there will be murals wrapped around the entire building. It’s a shining example of what we can do when we work together,” said Chick, who thanked the student artists as well as school and city officials and several community members for their efforts on the project.

For the last two months, art teacher Karen Nichols and about 25 students dedicated several days a week after school and on weekends to complete the mural.

“It was a lot of time and effort, but I’m really proud to direct this young group of artists,” Nichols said. “It’s a quality piece of work.”

Vandals have already painted on the mural once, Nichols said, but the unwanted markings were easily erased because of a protective coating.