Murals help rejuvenate, tell the story of two cities

Murals have been around a very long time adorning walls, ceilings and other large surfaces. Researchers tell us that ancient murals have even been found in Egyptian tombs dating back to 3,150 BC.

Two South Valley cities have chosen to use murals in a more modern way, namely as a means to reinvent themselves and to build community pride. They are Exeter and Lindsay.

These cities involvement with murals was in reaction to the devastating California citrus freeze that occurred in December 1990.

Lasting a week, the freeze wrecked havoc on the citrus industry, causing $809 million in damages. Naval oranges were the hardest hit with losses of $512 million. Being the center of naval orange production, Tulare County sustained damages of approximately one-half at $250 million. Forty-three packinghouses in the county were forced to close and 23,000 workers lost their jobs.

Of those in the county, Exeter and Lindsay seemed to fare the worst. Businesses couldn’t survive in the depressed agriculture economy and the cities started to resemble ghost towns. To complicate matters, General Cable, Lindsay’s second largest employer, moved its operations elsewhere in 1991. The following year, Lindsay Olive Growers, the city’s largest firm, went bankrupt. Exeter also had a major fire in its downtown area and one of its most historical and recognizable buildings, the Mixter Pharmacy, burned down in 1991. This left a blight in the center of town.

Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, both cities decided to do something to bring their communities back to life. Coincidentally, both came up with the idea to rejuvenate their downtowns through murals.

Lindsay’s involvement with murals stems from a visit its former City Manager Bill Drennan made to Chico in 1987. He was enamored with the numerous murals he saw at Chico State University and in the community. They were beautiful and he thought murals could be used as an excellent economic development tool for Lindsay. The only problem with implementing the project was the lack of money. He didn’t give up on the idea, though. The murals would just have to wait.

Exeter’s murals are the result of a trip Bob and Lana Dickey of Exeter made to British Columbia in 1993. They happened to visit Chemainuf, B.C. This is a small mill town that also experienced hard times when its lumber industry departed. The Chemainuf city fathers, however, chose to fight back and used murals to change the city’s image. They commissioned artists to create murals throughout the community and promoted the murals as a tourist attraction. It worked and today their town is a popular destination for tour groups.

According to Exeter Chamber of Commerce Director Sandy Blankenship, “Bob and Lana were impressed with Chemainuf’s murals and felt the paintings would be a great idea for Exeter. They talked it up when they came home and the Exeter City Council was interested.”
The council decided to hire Karl Schultz of Chemainuf to come to Exeter to present a workshop on how to start a successful mural project.

In 1995, the city commissioned Visalia Artist Colleen Mitchell-Veyna to create the first mural, titled “Orange Harvest.” It is 35-by-100 feet and features orange pickers in the 1930’s. It took one year to complete and is located at the corner of Pine and E Streets.

Since that time, the city has added approximately two murals per year and now has 28 creating an outdoor art gallery that displays the city’s rich history.

Included are paintings depicting Exeter’s founding families, pioneering businesses, Native American heritage and scenic attractions.

In 2003, Exeter was named one of “America’s Prettiest Painted Places” for its murals by the Paint Quality Institute of America. Plans are underway to create a mural in 2011 to commemorate Exeter’s founding in 1910.

Lindsay’s murals story precedes the citrus freeze. Following Drennan’s visit to Chico, there was considerable interest in starting a murals project. In 1989, the Lindsay Chamber of Commerce talked to artists and sought renderings to beautify the community. One artist, Josie Figueroa of Lindsay, was selected to do a painting, titled “Discovery.” Then, the freeze came and plans were halted.

In spite of problems, Drennan and others never gave up hope for the murals. In 1996, the Lindsay Community Theatre Board took advantage of Redevelopment Program funding and decided to repaint the outside of the theatre and include the “Discovery” mural. Lindsay also hired Schultz of Chemainuf to give advice on the murals project. Figueroa began her work in 1996 and the Lindsay’s first mural was completed in 1997.

Located on the theatre’s north wall, Figueroa’s mural shows a representation of Clark Gable. He was chosen because he spent considerable time in Lindsay and stayed at the old Mount Whitney Hotel. The woman in the mural is Hispanic Actress Linda Crystal.

Over time, 19 more murals have been added to the downtown area. Some are profound, others whimsical. All depict a historic event or a cultural reference to Lindsay.

I particularly appreciated one called, “American Spirit.” This is Lindsay’s tribute to the heroic efforts of the First Responders in the World Trade Center disaster. The mural is three-dimensional and includes an actual American flag and pieces of steel and concrete from the fallen towers.

Drennan and the city have been active in promoting murals throughout the state with the California Public Art and Mural Society (CALPAMS). Drennan is one of the founders of the group and serves as president of the 17-city organization.

In 2003, Lindsay hosted a symposium on mural promotion that brought together representatives from 14 states and five foreign countries. An outgrowth of the symposium was the painting of  “A Mural In A Day” done by artists and volunteers attending the meeting. It commemorates the Butterfield Overland Stage that stopped in Lindsay from 1858 to 1861.

A relatively new member of CALPAMS is the City of Porterville. The city currently has two murals. One, called “Centennial,” is located at the corner of Main and East Garden
Streets.  The other, “A Celebration of Iris,” is found at 259 North Main St. Steven Louis Ball created both. Just approved by the city will be a 10-by-100-foot mural paying tribute to Porterville’s marching bands and band directors from 1902 to the present. It will be created behind the Buck Shaffer “Time Marches On” Park across from City Hall.

Both Exeter and Lindsay deserve a lot of credit for their foresight and determination. Through their murals programs, they have helped beautify their cities, generate greater community pride and create an environment to foster future economic growth.

Contact either the Exeter Chamber of Commerce at 592-2919 or the Lindsay Chamber of Commerce at 562-4929 for maps and detailed information on their murals.