Painting has begun to restore the iconic patriotic mural on the Prado Dam near Corona after years of advocacy and a legal battle for the beloved artwork created nearly four decades ago.
Workers, who will use the same design as the original mural, began the job Tuesday, April, 4. The project will be completed in late April.
More than $100,000 in donations came in to support recreation of the 1976 Bicentennial Freedom Mural, which is visible off the 91 Freeway.
After many years, the mural began to fade, and issues with graffiti and lead paint concerns arose. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which controls the dam, in 2015 announced plans to remove the fading painting, leading mural co-designer Ron Kammeyer and the Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles to sue in May 2015 to stop the plans. The lawsuit was dismissed in April 2022.
The mural was created by 30 Corona high school students in 1976 to mark the nation’s bicentennial. Students camped out over two weekends with donated paint from local hardware stores and finished the mural in May 1976. It depicted the Liberty Bell and the words and numbers: “200 Years of Freedom: 1776-1976,” in red, white and blue paint.
After losing the lawsuit, the removal of the lead-painted mural was inevitable, but talks of recreating the mural with non-lead paint began.
The Bicentennial Freedom Mural Conservancy, Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, Army Corps of Engineers and the Orange County-based painting company One Way Painting joined in a project to revitalize the mural. Fundraising began in September.
Related links
Prado Dam patriotic mural near Corona loses legal protection, but could be repainted
Restoration of Prado Dam patriotic mural near Corona set to start
CORONA: Supporters sue to save Prado Dam mural
PRADO DAM: Judge stalls mural removal
CORONA: Patriotic mural to disappear from Prado Dam
“Being involved in the past year and working hard with the conservancy has been just really exciting and a roller coaster with negotiations on the mural,” said Perry Schaefer, co-designer of the mural. “And now seeing it all come together is just amazing and mind blowing we’ll be able to maintain this history after all.”
So far, workers are painting “200 Years of Freedom” in red paint on a white background. Next, they will work on the liberty bell and “1776-1976.”
“We chose the freedom liberty bell because it best symbolized our country,” Schaefer said. “This country is not perfect and it has cracks, but it the freedom it symbolized is important. And we have a piece of that here in California with the mural.”
Information: http://friendsofthepradodammural.com