Diego Rivera Mural Project

There are many elements that go into making a piece of public art successful. One of my favorite pieces which I consider to be a model of what a successful public art piece should be is the Pan America Unity Mural (1940) by Diego Rivera located at the City College of San Francisco. The work succeeds in multiple levels as a work of public art in how accessible it is to the general public, as well as the content it presents and how it reflects culturally the people and environment in which the work is based on. This work is also historically significant and reflects on the history and culture of the United States, and contains rich political undertones through out. This work pays tribute to key historical figures and moments through out California and U.S. history. All this creates a work that is rich with meaning and works on multiple levels.
When contemplating which aspects make a public work of art successful, one of the first ones that come to mind is how assessable it is to the general public. Since this is a public work, not one that’s located in a gallery or museum, this aspect is a really important when judging how effect a piece is. When I learned that the Pan America Unity Mural was located at the City College of San Francisco, I had a bit of trepidation about visiting it. It seemed that since the mural was located inside a college, of which I wasn’t a student, that this might lead to a situation in which I would feel like I was imposing myself onto the campus. When I arrived at the campus, I was pleasantly surprised when everyone I talked to knew where on campus the mural was located, and provided me with directions. Once I got there, I was immediately taken aback by just how big the mural was, which measures as almost 1800 square feet. I also noticed a docent near by who was there to answer any questions that anybody had regarding the piece. At no time did I feel that I was being a nuisance to anyone. One of the other thoughts that came to mind, which signaled to me that the murals setting was successful, was when I started thinking about friends I could possibly bring with me next time I came to visit the mural.
Easy access, rich subject mater and imagery, as well as giving the general public an insight into the artistic process, are just a few of the highlights that I took away from Rivera’s Mural. In her essay «Culture Class part III», Martha Rosler states that «if we consider the issue in terms of the role of art sited in public spaces, it would seem indisputable that the „public art“ sector in the U.S. has turned to a service/​experience model.» The Pan America Unity Mural runs contrary to that model. It’s a work that is there to enrich and add to the environment where it is located.

This is an amazing mural made for the the school, but not made for this building. In fact, you will notice right away that the lobby is too small for the mural. When built, the building the «value engineered» (code for save money) and the lobby was cut short by 50 feet. There is an ongoing effort to move the museum to a new CCSF performing arts building, which is 15 years overdue despite ample funding. All of this aside, go see the mural. I have bumped into people from all over the world, lost on the campus grounds, looking for the mural, which is only open a few hours a week. Try to go when there is a show, or come during school hours.

This is the best Diego Rivera painting I’ve ever seen in my life. If you’re in San Francisco, I recommend stopping by for a glimpse at least. At most, a long meditative stare…

Tucked away on the City College of San Francisco’s Ocean Campus is the small, rundown Diego Rivera Theater. This theater is named for the famous Mexican muralist, and husband of Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera. In 1940 Rivera traveled to San Francisco to paint a mural for the Golden Gate International Exposition. This amazing mural, Pan American Unity, is now on display in the lobby of the Diego Rivera Theater. Entrance is free.
The website linked above provides extremely detailed information about the mural so I won’t go in to too much detail here. I will say that the mural must be seen in person to be fully appreciated; pictures and words could never do this piece justice. The mural is massive (22 feet high by 73 feet long) and extremely rich in detail. There are many themes and metaphors contained within the mural so you’ll want to take your time viewing it. A detailed legend is provided that explains each element of the piece in detail; without this legend I don’t think I would have understood the vast majority of the work.
I’ll take a star off because the mural in a pain to get to from downtown and there really isn’t anything else to do in the area. Also, the website claims there is usually a docent on hand to help explain the mural; there wasn’t when I went but the legend provided gave all the detail I needed.
A true hidden gem in San Francisco. Definitely worth checking out if you’re a fan of Rivera or you’re looking for something a little different. This work is much better than the more popular Rivera mural at the Art Institute of San Francisco and much less busy.