The project features the lives of Tortilla Flats residents.
by Marie Lakin
The dedication of the new Tortilla Flats Legacy Mural drew a large crowd to the Museum of Ventura County on Sunday, March 1, for a look at Ventura’s latest public art piece.
The project features the lives of Tortilla Flats residents displaced when the 101 Freeway was built through the west end of Ventura in the 1950s. It was painted on the historic 1903 Building on the corner of W. Main St. and Ventura Ave. The building used to house Feraud’s Grocery, and was for years the home to painted advertising art. The Addison family now owns the building and was happy to provide the “canvas” for the new mural.
It is the latest project by artist MB Hanrahan and Moses Mora and was based entirely on old photographs. It depicts the everyday lives of residents in colorful detail, including working in packing plants, picking fruit, cutting hair and getting married. It features 11 panels with a map and explanatory information about the images. Visitors to the mural enjoy finding their family members and friends on the panels.
The funding was put together by the nonprofit ArtsVentura, which has been the fiscal sponsor for many cultural projects in Ventura, including ArtWalk. It includes the names of all donors to the project, both large and small. Donations ranged from $25 to $1,500 for an entire panel.
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