Murals

Dalia Carbajal-Robles
UC Davis undergraduate,  4th year
Major: Landscape Architecture

Mural of El Corrido de Ricardo Valdez by Juan Solis - 1994 Photos of the mural by Robin Dunitz from the USC Digital Library circa 1994.

Growing up in East Los Angeles, I saw many murals painted in public spaces. A mural I would commonly see is 'El Corrido De Ricardo', a mariachi painting by Juan Solis that depicts traditional Mexican clothing and colors. Juan Solis does a great job describing the mariachi culture and the story of how the Mariachi Plaza came to be known. When I first viewed El Corrido De Ricardo, I felt engaged because I was learning the cultural history of Mariachi Plaza. Murals convey a powerful message to the people and their communities.

Recently, Elizabeth and I have been thinking about painting a mural around the pen where our mini donkeys and horses are located. In this mural, we want to include the plants we currently work with, along with our green care animals! When visitors arrive at the site, we want to tell our story — engage people by providing information about who is involved in the Calisi Lab project and the positive effects that green care brings. An example can be an illustration of a human petting a green care animal, which demonstrates the nurturing relationship between humans and animals. It will be interesting to see how this mural can create a unique and engaging experience for people.