Humanities Field Trips 2014
Centro Cultural
The Centro Cultural de la Raza was founded in 1970 in Balboa park. It's main goal is to encourage cultural and artistic growth in the community. Before 1970 though, the building it now occupies was a water storage facility. It was only 44 years ago that pipes were installed in the park and the idea of having a Latin cultural center was introduced.
"Duality" was a very interesting piece of work. It is obvious what encouraged the artist to give it its name: while one side of the mural captures all of the darkness that Latin America has faced, the other is symbolic of, I'm assuming, its triumphs. It was painted beautifully and holds a lot of symbolism.
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One day, an upcoming muralist decided to paint on one of the inside walls. He wanted his artwork to mean something, though, so he traveled to Mexico to learn more about their culture. When he came back, he began painting his mural and continued for 15 years. Now, his painting, "Duality", is world renown and people from all over the globe come to see his masterpiece.
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Chicano Park
Chicano park is symbolic of what a community can do if they work together to stand up for themselves. It is filled to the brim with beautifully painted murals that show Latin culture. Dozens of artists have decorated the walls with their artwork, making the park both appealing the eyes, and a history lesson. There isn't a better way for people to express themselves and their culture than through art, and Chicano park is living proof of that.
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Once upon a time, before there was a Chicano park, there was a happy Latino community. Eventually, the city of Chula Vista decided that it was time to develop the area further. They built freeways right next to where children played and put plantations into the middle of towns. These two actions combined caused a great deal of air pollution and upset the community very much. The city then made plans to build a police station right next to the peoples homes. This pushed everybody off the edge. People demanded that they cancel the plans for construction and give them a park: a park in which their children could play and artists could express themselves in the form of murals. The city had no choice but to grant the people their wish. This is how Chicano Park came to be.
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Drawings