What started as a project to help Pittsburg kids interested in graffiti find a creative outlet through murals has evolved into a learning experience about art and politics.
"My thinking was to offer an opportunity to paint real good stuff on the walls that would not be an eyesore," murals program sponsor Rosemary Tumbaga said. "But the graffiti artists we were recruiting didn't sign up, and we got high achievers in school instead."
One of those students, Marcus Creel, is building upon his mural experience studying graphic arts at Los Medanos College.
Creel, 18, said he signed up for the after-school class because he has always been interested in art. As a lifelong Pittsburg resident, he also wanted to do something to beautify the city's downtown.
"I've seen the city go through a lot of changes, and I wanted to contribute to it," he said.
Creel and other members of his project team painted a set of three murals behind a block of buildings on Railroad Avenue in April.
One of the murals depicts the sun figure on the Aztec calendar and another a scene from a Mexican restaurant and inn, a reflection of the strong Latino influence in the community.
The artwork inspired a strong reaction on the Old Town Pittsburg Facebook page by a few people claiming that the Aztec and Mexican theme had nothing to do with the history of Pittsburg.
The feedback provoked a lively debate on Facebook among the student muralists and a few critics, covering the First Amendment, the role of ethnicity in society, toleration and acceptance, and the difference between life and art.
"The murals do have a lot to do with Pittsburg, a diverse community," said Alexis Barcenas, who designed the mural with the Aztec theme. "We thought it would be a cool idea to do something that represented the Aztec calendar. Since we had a really big space, we wanted to use big symbols."
"Originally, we wanted the Miwok Indians and decided to go with a different approach," Creel said.
The debate became a lesson that would be difficult to teach as effectively in the classroom, said Tumbaga, manager of arts programs for the city's Arts and Community Foundation.
"It was a valuable lesson for the kids who are used to people saying, 'Oh, we love it,' when they do something artistic," Tumbaga said. "They learned to accept the criticism with grace and dignity."
The murals class is held after school and is separate from Pittsburg High School art classes, although participants do get community service credit toward graduation.
Most of the participants don't have an art background, and Tumbaga begins the class by teaching basic drawing techniques, such as shading, leading to students scaling their sketches to the size of a mural, Creel said.
Students have created 11 murals, seven of which are displayed downtown, in the four times the class has been offered, Tumbaga said.
"I was going out in the streets and begging kids to take the class," Tumbaga said. "Now we're getting kids begging to join."
Pittsburg businesses are getting into the mural act, as well. Ramar Foods, a manufacturer of Filipino cuisine, commissioned Victor Sanchez, one of Tumbaga's art instructors, to paint a set of eight panels about Filipino history mounted on its manufacturing building at 355 Central Ave.
Contact Rick Radin at 925-779-7166.
Pittsburg MURAL team
When: Begins Nov. 14,
3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Mondays
and Tuesdays
Where: Pittsburg Art Shack,
31 Marina Blvd.
Who: Pittsburg residents of high school age
Details: Call 925-252-6981