Bicyclists and pedestrians passed under the Luchessa Bridge for
years without giving the graffiti that covered the walls a second
thought.
BY Sara Suddes Special to the Dispatch
Gilroy – Bicyclists and pedestrians passed under the Luchessa Bridge for years without giving the graffiti that covered the walls a second thought. Since Saturday, however, passersby now slow down to appreciate the large mural painted by Gilroy resident, Sheryl Cathers, that has replaced the vandalism.
Titled “Our Town Through the Years,” the mural depicts Gilroy’s history from its agricultural beginnings to present day. Approved by the city council and funded by park impact fees, the $10,000 mural was commissioned for two reasons: to proactively combat graffiti under the bridge and to beautify the Debell Uvas Creek Park Levee Trail.
“I hope it brings more traffic to the levee trail and makes it a more positive space,” Cathers said. Although many hope the mural keeps the vandals at bay, Cathers, a teacher of fine arts at St. Mary’s School, has tried contacting the graffiti artists by leaving notes at the site of her art.
“I would like to work with them and show them how to be a bit more positive with their artwork. But they never show up!” Cathers said.
Starting from the left, Cathers used sepia and earth tones to paint the rolling landscape of how Gilroy once looked. Crates of garlic, Christopher Ranch and the intersection of Sixth and Monterey streets punctuate the agricultural scene. At the center of the mural is a nostalgic rendition in black and white of Old City Hall and Hall’s (now Ruby’s Fashions) with the purple clad cowboy atop the store.
“Everyone who grew up in Gilroy remembers that cowboy,” said Angela Locke-Paddon, community service officer with the Gilroy Police Department and manager of the mural project.
The subdued colors of the first two panels bleed into the vibrant colors of present day Gilroy in the third panel with its abundant agriculture and new sports and recreation complex. A hawk soars overhead and the Uvas Creek snakes along the bottom of the entire mural.
Cathers was previously commissioned to paint a mural where the Uvas Trail crosses under the Santa Teresa Bridge.
“We fell in love with her,” Locke-Paddon said. “She’s a great artist, local and very easy to work with.” That’s why the Gilroy Police Department asked her to work with them on this project.
“The city would have allocated funds either way, whether it was to remove the graffiti, or to help beautify the levee trail,” Locke-Paddon said.
They decided on beautification, giving local traffic something to enjoy during their day and reminding them of the history of their town. City officials also believe that the mural will act as a deterrent against future vandalism. They wanted to address a quality of life issue and improve the trail that people use every day.
“The mural makes the trail look safer,” Brittney Trujillo, 20, said while she rollerbladed under the bridge with her mother, Heidi Trujillo. “It’s soothing rather than scary, like the graffiti.”
“It’s great how the mural brightens up the trail,” agreed Heidi Trujillo.
“The location under the Luchessa Bridge is a graffiti magnet,” said Bill Headley, facilities and parks development manager for Gilroy. “But murals are preventative against vandalism. They are respected by graffiti artists as another form of art.”
“Almost every night you would see more graffiti,” said Sam Burks, 19, as he stopped to take a look at the mural while walking his dog along the trail. “A couple years ago, there wasn’t even a trail here. Just a lot of rocks and illegal activity. I’m really glad no one has messed with the mural. It’s really beautiful.”
Other members of the community of Gilroy showed their support last Saturday morning.
“The unveiling was very well attended, especially for a Saturday morning,” said City Administrator Jay Baksa. “Everyone who was there really enjoyed the art. The mural is a story of our history that reinforces the importance of art. There are little points and pieces that make up a corridor that starts at the sports complex and eventually winds to Gilroy Gardens. When the corridor is complete, it will be truly outstanding and there will be no rival to that group of facilities.”
