Historic Jaya Mural in Venice Restored by Original Artists

A historic Venice mural that sparked controversy when it was unveiled in 1975 has been restored by the original artists.

The Jaya Mural, named after a women’s artist collective that helped paint it, will be rededicated Saturday. As the only mural in the Venice Canals area, the 30-foot-long artwork painted on the back of a South Venice Boulevard building celebrates the close-knit, diverse community that thrived in the neighborhood 20 years ago. Its images of a happy, cooperative community being encroached upon by development reflected the anxiety of the time as high-end housing drove out the mostly low-income residents.

Emily Winters, the artist who designed the mural, and other volunteers spent two months cleaning the faded artwork and restoring its vibrant colors.

“I think it’s a reminder of what a wonderful community we had and what we still strive for,” said Winters, a 30-year Venice resident.

The mural--which includes images of a bulldozer destroying a house and the phrase “Stop the Pigs!”--caused an uproar in Venice when it was unveiled. In March 1981, an anonymous group tried to whitewash the images. Residents showed up later with rags and water hoses to undo the damage.

The renovation was coordinated by the Social and Public Art Resource Center, which received about $25,000 from the city’s Cultural Affairs Department to restore the mural.

Winters said restoring the piece should remind people of the importance of public art.

“I think it should be controversial,” Winters said. “It should cause people to think--I don’t think it should just be a pretty picture.”