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| John Weber Mural In Danger | | Print | |
| Tuesday, 12 August 2008 08:56 | |||
 Mural to be Sandblasted October 21st 2008 There are now plans, not only to paint over, but to sandblast John Weber's "Toward Freedom" off the side of the former Jewish Community Center. This is an excessive act of elimination that will utterly destroy the mural, making it impossible to resurrect in the future if and when the Help Group moves out. Why not coat the mural with a protective layer of paint before whitewashing over it? It is a simple step to take and this way, even if the mural is hidden from view, it will be preserved, allowing future generations to bring it back, if they so decide. You can make a quick phone call to the Help Group's VP/Public Affairs, John Farrimond, at (818) 779-5212 or District 5 Councilmember, Jack Weiss, at (213) 473-7005 to speak out against the sandblasting. John Weber Mural In Danger August 12th 2008 In 1992 John Pitman Weber painted "Toward Freedom" on the building that then housed the Valley Cities Jewish Community Center. This building has recently been purchased by the Help Group and will become a school for children with special needs. The Help group intends to remove the mural holding that it is inconsistent with their mission and non-sectarian status. Though some denominational images (a star of David and Hebrew text) are included, the mural uses the story of Exodus to depict a universal theme that many other immigrant groups of the United States can relate to. Furthermore, the mural is specific to its location's historically Jewish community. Obliterating the mural in turn obliterates the community's history. Photograph by Ava Porter 2008
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