San Diego’s Barrio Logan community has just unveiled a new artistic addition: giant murals honoring the life of labor leader and civil rights activist Cesar E. Chavez.
The murals were installed this week on the exterior façades of the new San Diego Continuing Education parking structure, which faces National Avenue and Cesar E. Chavez Parkway.
There are eight murals total, each differing slightly in size. The art was created using photographs taken by local community members. The photos were transferred onto vinyl and then attached to the glass.
According to San Diego Continuing Education (SDCE), one of the artists behind the photographs is Carlos LeGerrette. He worked directly with Chavez and had major input on the final selection of images for the art installation.
The Cesar E. Chavez murals will be seen by many. SDCE says the four-level parking structure contains 320 parking spaces for students attending classes at SDCE’s new Cesar E. Chavez campus, which is slated to open in September. The official dedication of the new campus will be held on Oct. 28.
Chavez was born on March 31, 1927. He died in 1993 at age 66. Today, his birthday is celebrated as an official state holiday in California, Texas and Colorado. San Diego observes the day each year.