Thanks for your patience during our recent outage at scalar.usc.edu. While Scalar content is loading normally now, saving is still slow, and Scalar's 'additional metadata' features have been disabled, which may interfere with features like timelines and maps that depend on metadata. This also means that saving a page or media item will remove its additional metadata. If this occurs, you can use the 'All versions' link at the bottom of the page to restore the earlier version. We are continuing to troubleshoot, and will provide further updates as needed. Note that this only affects Scalar projects at scalar.usc.edu, and not those hosted elsewhere.
1media/15-471.jpgmedia/15-471.jpg2021-05-01T12:51:32-07:00Curtis Fletcher3225f3b99ebb95ebd811595627293f68f680673e387065Charles Freeman Carlota Boulevard and Avenue 41 1994plain2021-05-18T16:00:05-07:00Curtis Fletcher3225f3b99ebb95ebd811595627293f68f680673eReturn to the Light by Charles Freeman is a mural located on the outside wall of a retirement home in Highland Park. Visible from the Pasadena Freeway, thousands of people drive by it every day. The mural is focused on themes regarding social issues, specifically the killing of young innocent people, treatment of the elderly, and homelessness. Freeman depicts these themes through various scenes around the outside of the mural: a young boy with a gunshot wound, a homeless man desperately searching for work, and multiethnic seniors with detailed facial expressions showing a somber look in their eyes. There is also the cruel irony of a homeless person sleeping on a bench advertising “affordable retirement living.” A former member of the Black Panther Party, Freeman believes in learning, growing and evolving. This is why his mural also features a shaman in the center under the shining light, as well as the spirits of two Chicano figures reveling in a divine light, to symbolize strength, courage, and hope.
Since its completion in 1994, this mural has experienced significant damages due to vandalism and environmental factors such as UV light. As a result, artist Charles Freeman partnered with the Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC) to restore the mural. Together, they removed significant amounts of graffiti, repainted damaged areas, and applied a MuralShield coating to help protect the mural from future damage. These restorations enlivened the mural to make it more enjoyable for commuters for the decades to come.
Written by Thomas Bulow, c/o ‘24
This page has paths:
12021-05-04T13:13:06-07:00Curtis Fletcher3225f3b99ebb95ebd811595627293f68f680673eThe Impact of Mexican Muralism on African American MuralsCurtis Fletcher10Thematic Essayvisual_path2021-06-16T14:08:52-07:00Curtis Fletcher3225f3b99ebb95ebd811595627293f68f680673e
12021-05-27T10:27:04-07:00Curtis Fletcher3225f3b99ebb95ebd811595627293f68f680673eNeighborhoods: Unified through Muralism [TEST 2]Curtis Fletcher10visual_path2021-05-27T10:44:24-07:00Curtis Fletcher3225f3b99ebb95ebd811595627293f68f680673e
12021-05-04T13:11:55-07:00Curtis Fletcher3225f3b99ebb95ebd811595627293f68f680673eSocial and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC)Curtis Fletcher13Thematic Essayvisual_path2021-06-16T14:05:13-07:00Curtis Fletcher3225f3b99ebb95ebd811595627293f68f680673e
12021-05-04T13:04:08-07:00Curtis Fletcher3225f3b99ebb95ebd811595627293f68f680673eNeighborhoods: Unified through MuralismCurtis Fletcher14Thematic Essayvisual_path2021-06-16T11:39:28-07:00Curtis Fletcher3225f3b99ebb95ebd811595627293f68f680673e
12021-05-26T10:14:12-07:00Curtis Fletcher3225f3b99ebb95ebd811595627293f68f680673eNeighborhoods: Unified through Muralism [TEST]Curtis Fletcher23visual_path2021-06-16T11:38:38-07:00Curtis Fletcher3225f3b99ebb95ebd811595627293f68f680673e
1media/15-471.jpg2021-04-05T20:24:02-07:00Return to the Light3Charles Freeman Carlota Boulevard and Avenue 41 1994media/15-471.jpgplain2021-05-18T15:29:59-07:00