Restoring a Palisades mural through the storm

Carlos Rogel steam cleans the Temescal Canyon mural. MuralColors, a Los Angeles–based public art conservation firm, is leading the project, with Saturday’s work focusing on washing the mural’s surface — removing dirt, oils, ash and remnants of the old coating — while preserving the original brushstrokes.  (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)

Artist Roger Reyes with MuralColors helps guide the steam washer hoses during Saturday’s cleaning.  (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)

Two of the four artists Katarzyna Kozik, left, and Cathy Salser comment on a cleaned section of the mural showing the original color.  (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)

Volunteer Jack White, from Phoenix, helps clean the Temescal Canyon mural, which the artists say depicts the history of the Palisades in four panels, beginning with the story of its Indigenous inhabitants.  (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)

Julia Rutter, who lost her home in the Palisades fire, volunteered to help clean the mural. She said coming out here and helping was “cathartic.”  (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)

“It’s comforting to see what’s still here in the Palisades, because if everything was gone it would be too hard,” Kozik said. “Through everything, this land is still here, and that’s part of the wonder of this place.”