What's visiting L.A.... without shopping?

at the Galleria in Glendale

More than Graffiti - the Great Wall of LA

Graffiti was beginning to cover this wall behind the San Fernando Valley wash, and story goes that a group of LA Social, Art and City Planners, led by designer Judith Baca, conceived a better destiny for this space and for these budding artists. 

Over 400 community youth participated in the creation of this wall, between the '70s & '80s, which can be found on Coldwater Canyon Ave in Valley Glen. The Wall runs about 1/2 mile between Oxnard and Burbank Blvd.  

The history of California is well-documented in these paintings from pre-historic times to the 1980's, including scenes from the Gold Rush, the Spanish Conquest, both World Wars, the Citrus Industry, Indian Assimilation, Japanese Interment, Dust Bowl Refugees, the Birth of Rock and Roll, Jewish Arts and Sciences and women's roles of these times. Here's just a few of the paintings.

A Different Scenery 

Can you guess where I am?

Yep - California here I come

Right back where I started from...

This was a very unexpected trip.

I shouldn't complain as I was able to miss part of Utah's winter.

Instead of -8 or even zero degrees,

I've been enjoying crisp 60 degree to nice warm 80 degree days.

I wish I could tell you that this was a joy trip,

well I suppose visiting your mother should bring joy into your life.

But this trip was out of necessity.

Anyone else out there caring for an elderly parent?

Roles certainly switch places. strength replaces weakness

and weakness replaces where strength once was.

But this is a time to cherish, this is a time to learn more about 

your roots, your parents and yourself.

I only had to begin at the refrigerator:

"Yesterday's the past, tomorrow's the future, but today is a GIFT. 

That's why it's called the present."

or

My goal in life is to weigh what my driver's license says I do!

or

A Prayer for the World

Let the rain come and wash away

the ancient grudges, the bitter hatreds

held and nurtured over generations.

Let the rain wash away the memory

of the hurt, the neglect.

Then let the sun come out and

fill the sky with rainbows.

Let the warmth of the sun heal us

wherever we are broken.

Let it burn away the fog so that

we can see each other clearly.

So that we can see beyond labels,

beyond accents, gender or skin color.

Let the warmth and brightness

of the sun melt our selfishness.

So that we can share the joys and

feel the sorrows of our neighbors.

And let the light of the sun

be so strong that we will see all

people as our neighbors.

Let the earth, nourished by rain,

bring forth flowers

to surround us with beauty.

And let the mountains teach our hearts

to reach upward to heaven.

Amen.

-Rabbi Harold S. Kushner