UCLA/SPARC Cesar Chavez Digital/Mural Lab - We are SPARC: Art | Education | Social Justice

UCLA @ SPARC Cesar E Chavez Digital Mural Lab

“Bringing together Communities, Art and Technology”

The lab, a unique research and teaching facility, brings state-of-the-art computer technology to the production of community-based art. Led be Professor Judith F. Baca, UCLA students collaborate with community members to create public art for public settings.

o Develops new techniques for combining traditional mural painting techniques with computer- generated imagery

o Collaborates with local, national and international communities to create public art expressing the concerns of diverse communities

o Innovates new techniques in visualization and presentation of public art through three-d and video virtual presentations

o Innovates methods for collaboration across distance with artist and community members on community based artworks through the internet

o Develops new methods of preservation and restoration for mural art through the use of digital prints on new materials

The UCLA/SPARC Digital Mural Laboratory is located at the Social and Public Art Resource Center, (SPARC), a Los Angeles historical landmark, in the old Venice Police Station's art deco building 15 minutes from campus. UCLA’s community partner in the lab, SPARC has over a thirty year period, sponsored much of Los Angeles rich legacy of murals citywide. This non-profit art/art educational organization houses the largest mural archive in the world, as well as, a public art gallery, mural painting studio, printmaking, photography facilities as well as a literacy program for children and a digital lab for local high school students.

The Digital Mural Laboratory offers UCLA students from multiple disciplines and majors the opportunity to work in a community setting to create public art projects in Los Angeles through the use of state-of-the art digital technology. The lab, a unique research and teaching facility brings state of the art computer technology to the production of community-based art.

All work takes place in the context of critical philosophical and analytical dialogues on contemporary issues. Through service-based learning projects students are enabled to work in interdisciplinary collaborative teams in researching various academic subjects and community issues to develop skills for the actualization of public monuments in Los Angeles. For example, art students may focus on imagery development, public policy students on policy research, while history students may focus on historical research for the development of image content, all within a context of the development of visual literacy required for the monument.

Students have the access to a unique combination of tools within the Digital lab facility. Software utilized for teaching includes, professional graphic design programs: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Corel Painter. With more recent emphasis on video production and 3D visualizations the Digital Mural Lab is fully equipped with Apple Final Cut Pro, DVD Studio Pro, ProTools, and AutoDesk Maya software packages. The hosts Internal Web, File and email servers to create an environment that is highly flexible and customizable for creative projects.

A traditional art-painting studio is available allowing seamless and effortless transition between computer generated and hand painted imagery. The lab is equipped with two large-scale printers. As a research facility the Digital Mural lab develops new techniques for combining traditional murals painting techniques with computer generated imagery.

VISIT UCLA@SPARC Cesar Chavez Digital/Mural Lab official website.

List of UCLA/SPARC Cesar Chavez Digital Mural Lab Projects:

1996 - 2012

Professor Judith F. Baca

judybaca@ucla.edu

1. Witnesses To LA History California Plaza: (1996) Six witnesses to Los Angeles History. Student Project,’10’x12’ digital print on vinyl. The project was a collaboration between Cornerstone Theater, SPARC, and the Digital Mural Lab and installed for the theater production at the California Plaza. Students initiated research and image production for the vinyl murals.
2. Witnesses to Los Angeles History: Estrada Courts Housing Project (1997) East Los Angeles Housing Project: six murals on housing issues exemplified in the collected stories of individual families. Student Project. 10’x12’ digital print on vinyl. Sponsored by Estrada Courts residents
3. Mark Taper Forum and Ahmanson Theatre Murals: (1998) 30^th Anniversary for The Center Theatre Group. The history of theater in Los Angeles presented at the Taper and Ahmanson Theaters. 16’x80’ digital print on vinyl by Judy Baca with the staff and board of the Mark Taper and Ahmanson.
4. Local 11, H.E.R.E. Mural: (1998) Entitled: “*We are HERE”* 20ftx 31ft Digital Print on Vinyl. Created for the Hotel and restaurant workers Los Angeles on the story of Unionization of L.A hotels for Local 11 headquarters. By Judy Baca/Photos Carol Peterson
5. *“Los Angeles Tropical* “ 3 Digital Murals: Homage to David Alfaro Siqueiros for entrance to America Tropical Mural on Olvera Street. (1999) Student project. Three murals were produced in Digital Mural classes for the Olvera Street site.
6. Shoulder To Shoulder City-Wide Youth Banner Project: (2000) 9 week Summer camp for middle school children, in writing, theatre and visual arts with a final public banner project presented citywide on Los Angeles streets to promote racial harmony through a partnership with City of Los Angeles Human Relations Commission, SPARC and UCLA. Student Project with middle school children.
7. Denver International Airport Mural: (2000-2001) *“La Memoria de Nuestra Tierra”* 10’x50’ mural by Prof. Judy Baca. Innovation in Digital Mural printing on aluminum substrates for Denver International Airport Jeppson Terminal.
8. Durango Digital Mural: (2001-2002) *“Recollections”* Digital interactive work carried out over the internet working with, Navajo, Latino, Ute, and anglo high school youth in conflict on the concept of land and memory. 16’x25’ digital print, Downtown Durango Colorado
9. Orange County Human Relations Commission (2002) Digital Mural project for youth summer art camp. Digital Mural Lab Student Graduate project in collaboration with Digital Mural Lab.
10. Commemorating 50^th Anniversary of Montgomery Bus Boycott – (2003-2004) Four interactive Digital Mural Project in Baltimore, New York, Philadelphia and D.C.: 5’x25’ digital print on canvas. Led by Student graduates of Digital Mural Lab sponsored by Verizon.
11. Korean Garden Monument (2002-2003) 25 feet tall Korean arch by Professor Baca and Professor David Chang Washington D.C for Koreatown. Commissioned by the City of Los Angeles
12. Venice Boardwalk Project: (2003-2004) Commemoration of 15 historic murals of Venice. Porcelain enamel on metal. On display on the Venice boardwalk. Sponsored by the City of Los Angeles, produced from the mural archives of SPARC by the Digital Mural Lab.
13. Bentley Prince Mural (2003-2004). 14’x28’ Digital Mural depicting path to sustainable material use in carpeting and home materials for the workers of the Bentley Factory.
14. Hispanic Heritage Mural Project in New York for Verizon (2004) Digital Mural Commission for Dominican Community of New York
15. Bank of America (2004) 10ftx 20ft Digital Mural for Immigrant Community of Bell, CA Bank of America Building on contributions of the Latino Community in Mexico and the United States.
16. University Elementary School at UCLA: the Woven Web Mural (2005) Digital Mural Lab undergraduate students and Rachel Estrella Phd candidate in Education, sixty six year-old children of the kindergarten classes. Together with six UCLA undergraduates from various disciplines, two classrooms, led by three teachers produced the 30ft painted mural entitled the “*Woven Web*.”
17. C.A.R.E.C.E.N. Mural: Central American Resource and Education Center: (2005) *“Migration of the Golden People*” 12’x32’ digital print for the Central American Resource and Education Center Auditorium in Los Angeles. DML Student graduate project with Professor Baca and 28week workshop with central American youth on the migration of the Central Americans to Pico Union district of Los Angeles: handpainted and digital mural on canvas.
18. UCLA Portal Visualization of the Great Wall Virtual Model: (2005) Initiated in the Fall of 2003 and completed in 2005 as collaboration between the UCLA/SPARC Digital/Mural Lab and the UCLA Visualization portal, the Virtual Great Wall of Los Angeles 3-D model brings the signature work of Professor Baca and SPARC into the virtual world of real-time 3-D visualization as a virtual navigatable site.
19. Petersen Museum mural restoration project: (2006) Historic Neighborhood Pride Mural by Sandra Drilling 1990 restored through Digital Mural Lab digital restoration and installed in the Peterson Museum.
20. 1960’s segments of the Great Wall of Los Angeles ( 2006-2007) Student Project designed in classes over 20 wks researched and designed segments for the 1960’s through 80’s of the Great Wall of Los Angeles half mile mural in Los Angeles. Designs were presented at Americans for the Arts in New York City by students of the Beyond the Mexican Mural Course.
21. Foster Kids Project: (2006) Series of 20 portraits by emancipated 18 year olds from Los Angeles County Foster Kids program. The portraits were published in book form and as prints.
22. Venice Family Clinic (2007): A joint venture between the Venice Family Clinic and the Digital Mural Lab, which resulted in an exhibition of mural images for permanent display in the clinic's exam rooms at their Santa Monica facility, the Simms/Mann Health and Wellness Center.
23. The New Dallas Latino Cultural Center Mural: (2008) entitled: “Danza de La Tierra” The Dallas Latino Cultural Center, designed by renowned Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta, commissioned Professor Baca and the UCLA/SPARC Cesar Chavez Digital Mural Lab to produce a mural for the lobby of their 304-seat, Oak Farms Dairy Performance Hall.
24. The Interpretive Green Bridge at the Great Wall of Los Angeles (2007-2010) Professor Baca and UCLA/SPARC Cesar Chavez Digital Mural Lab have collaborated with wHY Architects to complete the designs for a “Green Bridge” which will be solar lit and composed in part from the debris of the Los Angeles River with interpretive panels along the expanse of the Bridge from which the public can view the River and the ½ mile of mural along its banks. The bridge will exemplify the relationship between environmental justice and social justice.
25. Cesar Chavez Monument at SJSU (2008) 26ft Mayan Corbelled Arch Monument to Cesar Chavez at San Jose State University with five byzantine Tile mosaics, 1 ton glass UFW eagle and hundred foot plaza with four stone floor patterns on the life of Cesar Chavez.
26. America Tropical at Walt Disney Concert Hall (2008) Collaboration between the Mexico City Philharmonic and three UCLA professors; Dr. Steve Loza, Jose Luis Valenzuela and Judith F. Baca. The UCLA/SPARC Cesar Chavez Digital Mural Lab produced the visual presentation for an original composition based on David Alfaro Siqueiros’ mural America Tropical in Disney Hall 30ft projection screen during the performance.
27. Metro Station Metate Benches at Wilmington Station (2009) Designed by Prof. Baca for the Wilmington Metro Station and produced in the Digital Mural Lab. Three benches in the shape of “metates” with embedded porcelain corn.
28. University Lab School (formally University Elementary School) (2009) “The Cipher” 8ftx29ft mural permanent installed on the Elementary school campus as a gift of the 6^th grade class to the school. Sponsored by the students of the 6^th grade. Mural is collaboration between elementary students and the Digital Mural lab students over a two-quarter production.
29. Roosevelt Community Center in San Jose, CA (2009) Mural by Scape Martinez in collaboration with the Digital Mural Lab. Print production and installation completed by DML.
30. Great Wall Restoration The Great Wall Mural 2,740ft mural in the Los Angeles Flood control district channel now 33yrs old in some sections was designated a site for historic preservation by the California Cultural Historical Endowment. The restoration now in progress will renew the ½ mile long mural on the history of California with its particular emphasis on the contributions by ethnic peoples. UCLA service base learning students, WAC students, Chicano/a Studies and Studio Arts Students participated in the restoration.
31. Two Robert F. Kennedy Murals at the Los Angeles Ambassador Ballroom, now the RFK Learning Center (2010) Two 12’x55’ mural on metallic substrate for the New Robert F. Kennedy Learning Center Library currently in progress to be completed by September 2010. Entitled: *“Seeing through Others Eyes” and “Tiny Ripples of Hope”*
32. Monument to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. : (2011) San Diego Public 90 Freeway – 31ft Corten steel sculpture and garden of dreams. Designed by Prof. Baca and artist Philip Matzigeit for the City of San Deigo public Art program in the Digital Mural Lab.
33. Richmond, California (2012) Entitled: “Extraordinary Ordinary People” 10ft x50ft. Digital Mural in progress commissioned by the City of Richmond California for its new Civic Center. This project is an exploration, though story telling, of the human capacity for empathy - a social value that is fundamental to achieving the California Council for the Humanities’ goal of ‘fostering understanding’ and ‘breaking down barriers’ between people. In this project we make use of the transformative experience of storytelling and coordinated forms of artistic expression to create a greater awareness of empathy, with the goal of fostering a deeper sense of connection and inclusivity among citizens of the East Bay.
34. Ataco, El Salvador (2012) Digital and Hand Painted Murals at 5 sites Part of US Embassy / Department of State Program. Members of the Digital Mural Lab will travel as cultural embassadors to El Salvador and lead a group of youth to produce five murals to promote cultural tourism
35. Miguel Contreas Learning Center (2012) Digital Mural for with High School Students