Did you know that in the East Village of San Diego there are a whack of murals painted? I hadn't a clue until I read this book, Maybe Something Beautiful is the story of Rafael and Candice Lopez and how they worked together to form the Urban Art Trail.
Let me give you some of the background story. This book was inspired by the story of the change made to San Diego.
It all began in 1997 in the East Village of downtown San Diego. Downtown San Diego was still considered a scary place. Local drug dealers were using electrical boxes found on virtually every corner as makeshift offices. .... A local publisher named Rex Edhlund created a paper called D-Town, the Downtown Paper to collect the thoughts of these like minded individuals.... Candace Lopez. In her monthly column, Nurture the Neighborhood, she launched the Urban Art Trail.
A local graphic design professor at San Diego City College, Candace had the idea to cover the metal obstructions with colorful graphics and enlisted the help of her students at San Diego City College and the American Institute of Graphic Arts San Diego. Securing permission from the Centre City Development Corporation and utility companies over on hundred volunteers initially transformed the blight with powerful artwork. (source)
Can you imagine what a tremendous change that would have made? Painting ugly, gang marked electrical boxes over in brightly coloured murals? Addling light and colour and removing the "this is ours" mindset from the folks doing business around them.
If you go to this page you can see some of the art they did to change a community.
It all began in 1997 in the East Village of downtown San Diego. Downtown San Diego was still considered a scary place. Local drug dealers were using electrical boxes found on virtually every corner as makeshift offices. .... A local publisher named Rex Edhlund created a paper called D-Town, the Downtown Paper to collect the thoughts of these like minded individuals.... Candace Lopez. In her monthly column, Nurture the Neighborhood, she launched the Urban Art Trail.
A local graphic design professor at San Diego City College, Candace had the idea to cover the metal obstructions with colorful graphics and enlisted the help of her students at San Diego City College and the American Institute of Graphic Arts San Diego. Securing permission from the Centre City Development Corporation and utility companies over on hundred volunteers initially transformed the blight with powerful artwork. (source)
Can you imagine what a tremendous change that would have made? Painting ugly, gang marked electrical boxes over in brightly coloured murals? Addling light and colour and removing the "this is ours" mindset from the folks doing business around them.
If you go to this page you can see some of the art they did to change a community.
I read this book, and my 11 year old came over to see what I was looking at. He read the story and said "MOM, that's a really nice book. It was nice how they all helped each other.".
And that's the book, a girl, with a thought about adding colour to the grey, dismal world around her, and she gets help from a man, and then they draw in all sorts of other people, and before you know it, there are splashes of bright colour everywhere. I can just sit back and imagine the joy and gasps of amazement that would bring.
The joy and amazement is brought out in this book so very clearly. And the Muralist said as his eyes sparkled ""You, my friends, are all artists" he told them. "The world is your canvas." He smiled wide, then pulled everything together in big, sweeping motions."
And that's the book, a girl, with a thought about adding colour to the grey, dismal world around her, and she gets help from a man, and then they draw in all sorts of other people, and before you know it, there are splashes of bright colour everywhere. I can just sit back and imagine the joy and gasps of amazement that would bring.
The joy and amazement is brought out in this book so very clearly. And the Muralist said as his eyes sparkled ""You, my friends, are all artists" he told them. "The world is your canvas." He smiled wide, then pulled everything together in big, sweeping motions."
Can't you just see it? The brightness against that dismal dirty grey? Just see it. :)
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Maybe Something Beautiful.
How Art Transformed a neighborhood. Written by R.Isabel Campoy & Theresa Howell. Illustrated by: Rafael Lopez Pages: 40 Size 10 x 10 Written for ages 4-7, but it's fun for most any age I think. :) Reviewed for Raincoast Books. |
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My affiliate links are below. I provide them just to be helpful, and any proceeds don't affect your bottom line, and just help me out as well. :)
For the USA link to amazon, see this link: Maybe Something Beautiful: How Art Transformed a Neighborhood
For the Canadian link to amazon, see this link: Maybe Something Beautiful: How Art Transformed a Neighborhood
For the Canadian link to amazon, see this link: Maybe Something Beautiful: How Art Transformed a Neighborhood
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