Midtown Murals Project
In The News
beautify city BY ROBYN S. EIFERTSEN
Neighbors staff writer
Those who never had a chance to see the old Alhambra Theatre
in all of its glory will be able to see its image in midtown.
A mural depicting the theater will grace a cinderblock firewall
behind the Art Ellis Supply store on 25th Street between J and K streets. The 50-foot wall
is frequently marred by graffiti.
The mural is the first of seven that Boulevard Park resident
James Cooper is helping to establish in midtown to cover blank concrete walls.
Cooper brought the idea home to Sacramento after seeing 13 murals
and two sculptures in Seattle that were part of a walking tour for visitors.
Cooper and a recently established seven-member committee hope to
raise enough money to pay for a dozen midtown murals within the next five years.
They have enough money and donated materials for the one that
will depict the Alhambra.
"The first image is going to be the old Alhambra
building," Cooper said. "We see it as an impressionistic ... painting, not a
drawing."
James Cooper heads up an effort to replace
graffiti with murals in midtown.
Cooper said he decided to make the introductory
mural in the series a depiction of the old theater when he was photographing potential
mural canvases, or "big, ugly walls" throughout. midtown.
While standing in front of the Art Ellis Supply’ store wall,
‘I realized that I was standing about. seven blocks due west of where the old
Alhambra. Theatre used to be," Cooper said. The theater was on Alhambra Boulevard and
J Street before being replaced by a Safeway grocery store.
When the theater, which the marquee touted as the "Showplace
of Sacramento," was torn down in 1974, it sparked a historic preservationist movement
in the Central City that helped established the Sacramento Old City Association and the
city historic preservation department.
Landscape artist Gregory Kondos, who was recently recruited by
Cooper to do one of the seven midtown murals, said the project is unique because its
murals will depict important Sacramento scenes and history.
It will surface some things that we kind of swept under the
rug," said Kondos, who recently completed a mural for Sacramento International
Airport’s new terminal, which will open in October. "The Alhambra Theatre ...
met, as far as I’m concerned, a horrible death. I remember as a kid, just like in
Hollywood, the big lights and the movie stars would come. There are many young people who
don’t even know that it existed, and they don’t even know the name."
Cooper started raising money for the first seven murals four
months ago. He and the mural committee, working in conjunction with the Friends of the
Arts Commission, an arm of the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission, have raised $3,000
for the Alhambra mural with the help of 40 area businesses.
The committee members include midtown resident and area
businessman Paul Harriman; Denise Evangelista, owner of the midtown gift shop Choices at
23rd and J streets; and Jim Tanovitz, owner of Art Ellis Supply.
Cooper and the committee seek an artist to design and paint the
mural. The committee will approve the design.
Artist Kondos said the project is unique to the city’s Art
in Public Places mural projects, which are paid for by developers and the Sacramento
Metropolitan Arts Commission. "But with this one, it’s the community that
is pursuing it," Kondos said. In other words, it’s not just the developer,
it’s the people."
Evangelista said the murals represent a growing community spirit
among midtown residents and merchants. It’s exciting because it’s creating
change, and midtown is going through lots of change," Evangelista said.
Campus Commons resident John Dailey, who owns a building adjacent
to Art Ellis Supply at 25th and J streets, has been painting over graffiti on the wall so
his tenants would not have to look at it. "Between a three- or four-year
period, I’ve spent about $1,000 (on paint) and I don’t know how many hours of my
time (cleaning up graffiti)," Dailey said. "I’m not much of an artsy
guy myself, but the way the mural is described to me, I think it’s a great
idea," Dailey said. I think it will add some character to midtown."
Tanovitz hopes a mural art walk will bring more people to
midtown. "Hopefully, it will give people some reason to come down here and
check us out," said Tanovitz."] have found that when you have ~ nicely done
mural, you very seldom have graffiti on it."
Betty Woo, an architect at Blackbird Associates on 25th Street,
will have a bird’s-eye view of the new mural from her second-floor office window.
It’s just a gray wall and the only time you notice it is when there is new
graffiti on it," Woo said.
Cooper said the committee has identified 20 suitable sites for
murals in midtown and is working with about 12 property owners who might be willing to
have their blank walls transformed into works of art.
"If you think about that, there are a lot of (blank walls)
in midtown." Cooper said. "The amazing thing is they could be canvases for
outstanding images that add something to the community." "Imagine
looking at a big, ugly blank wall, and then one day you come upon it, and it has a
beautiful image of whatever classic, romantic, even fun image, and the difference is night
and day," Cooper said.
Interested artists, business owners or community members may call
Cooper at 448-8517.