Vallejo Rising
It's easy to quickly stroll by this mural, Vallejo Rising, or drive by and say, 'oh that's nice.' I've done it a least a handful of times and I finally decided to stop by and really take a look at it. The first thing that really left an impression on me is that it is alive. Alive with color, with life, and a bit of defiance.
That may be relatively easy to achieve against the ghost-town backdrop of midday downtown Vallejo. With every other store front available for lease and the few bodies moving quickly through the streets, a leaf blowing in the wind could capture someone's attention and make them long for more. More voices, more movement, more volume in the vacant storefronts.
I captured just a portion of this mural because I would have had to cross the street to capture it in its entirety. That would have been nice, but I would have had to compete with passing cars and people and control my irritation at the lamppost blocking just one piece of this work. I stood as close as I could, to get as much in my lens as possible. Just as quickly as my camera snapped, I was off, my curiosity leading me farther up the block.
A little later I sat down with my camera to revisit this mural and could not believe that it was jumping out of my camera and really forcing me to look at it again, but with a clearer set of eyes.
The Vallejo Youth Commission dedicated this mural in early January. It is located on the corner of Marin Street and Georgia Street and is intended to represent rebirth. It is also was dedicated to the memory of Paul Brunson, who owned the barbershop adjacent to the mural and who also lost his life in a 2008 shooting.
Vallejo will rise through the wonderful artists and creative people who remain dedicated to helping reveal the beauty in this city. Not far from this mural along Marin Street, Virginia Street and many other areas you will find art galleries, imports and antiques. Many merchants have come and gone, but many have stayed and continue to build a strong arts community. Come down and take a look at Vallejo Rising, and see what else you discover.
Chandra
Chatmon's Books
C Dyann Designs
That may be relatively easy to achieve against the ghost-town backdrop of midday downtown Vallejo. With every other store front available for lease and the few bodies moving quickly through the streets, a leaf blowing in the wind could capture someone's attention and make them long for more. More voices, more movement, more volume in the vacant storefronts.
I captured just a portion of this mural because I would have had to cross the street to capture it in its entirety. That would have been nice, but I would have had to compete with passing cars and people and control my irritation at the lamppost blocking just one piece of this work. I stood as close as I could, to get as much in my lens as possible. Just as quickly as my camera snapped, I was off, my curiosity leading me farther up the block.
A little later I sat down with my camera to revisit this mural and could not believe that it was jumping out of my camera and really forcing me to look at it again, but with a clearer set of eyes.
The Vallejo Youth Commission dedicated this mural in early January. It is located on the corner of Marin Street and Georgia Street and is intended to represent rebirth. It is also was dedicated to the memory of Paul Brunson, who owned the barbershop adjacent to the mural and who also lost his life in a 2008 shooting.
Vallejo will rise through the wonderful artists and creative people who remain dedicated to helping reveal the beauty in this city. Not far from this mural along Marin Street, Virginia Street and many other areas you will find art galleries, imports and antiques. Many merchants have come and gone, but many have stayed and continue to build a strong arts community. Come down and take a look at Vallejo Rising, and see what else you discover.
Chandra
Chatmon's Books
C Dyann Designs
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