GILROY
– It’s more than a mural. It’s a celebration of Gilroy’s past, a
reflection of its present and a vision for the Garlic City’s
future.
For the first time in the history of the city, a piece of art
owned by every Gilroy citizen will be dedicated in the form of a
downtown mural on May 17.
GILROY – It’s more than a mural. It’s a celebration of Gilroy’s past, a reflection of its present and a vision for the Garlic City’s future.
For the first time in the history of the city, a piece of art owned by every Gilroy citizen will be dedicated in the form of a downtown mural on May 17.
Paid for in part by the city and half by community donations, the $15,000 piece of art will grace the city-owned brick wall next to Banning Upholstery at the northeast corner of Hornlein Court and Monterey Road, near Seventh Street.
“This is more than a piece of art, this is an investment in the future of the city and in downtown,” said City Councilman Charlie Morales, who is scheduled to speak at a city arts conference coinciding with the dedication of Gilroy’s new downtown mural. “When you bring the fine arts to your city, it pays off down the road. Providing an outlet for the arts strengthens the image of the community and brings in outsiders – adding to the economic viability of the town. … We see this as the first step in creating our arts community in downtown.”
Developed under the tutelage of the city’s 2-year-old Public Arts Committee, the 36-by-81-foot mural is designed to be a southern gateway to downtown. Entitled “In Celebration of Gilroy’s Past, Present and Future,” the mural is broken into three separate panels – past, present and future – each with paintings depicting the city’s culture.
Gilroy artist Nancy Grieves, who was hired in July to create the downtown mural, began the project in October and is currently putting the finishing touches on last phase. Grieves is being paid $10,000 for the project, the remaining $5,000 will be saved by the city in order to provide upkeep for the towering painting, said Arline Silva, chairwoman of the Gilroy Public Arts Committee.
Grieves has a master of fine arts degree from San Jose State University and has several works of art on display publicly, including one at the state capitol building in Sacramento.
“(Grieves) has done an amazing job,” Silva said. “The mural tells people all about Gilroy and its rich heritage. … It’s really a beautiful way to celebrate our city.”
Grieves and the Public Arts Committee worked together to brainstorm the images and theme to the mural.
The “past” phase of the mural will be represented by a rendering of the city’s landmark Old City Hall – located one block north of the mural – which was built in 1905 in Baroque and Mission-Revival-style architecture.
For the “present” panel of the mural, Grieves has drawn a large American flag composed of colorful flowers and framed by rolling hills – a testament to South County’s landscape and cultural pride.
Grieves is currently finishing the “future” phase of the mural, which features two smiling young girls standing on a local playground. The drawing is Grieve’s version of a photograph of the two girls playing taken this year at a local playground.
“This depicts all aspects of Gilroy life,” Mayor Tom Springer said. “It’s a positive step for the community and reminds us that the youth is our future, which is the most important thing.”
Springer, Silva and Grieves will be joined by Camille McCormack when speaking at the dedication ceremony for the mural on May 17. McCormack was asked to speak in respects to her late mother, Lael McCormack, who will have the mural dedicated in her name for nearly 20 years of volunteer work she dedicated to fine arts in Gilroy. Lael McCormack died in December.
“We want to thank the city for all of their support and the community for its support,” Silva said. “This is a statement that our city believes in art.”
