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In 1978, the Song of Unity mural was painted in the facade of our Berkeley building by a group of inimitable artists.  After years of exposure to the sun and weather, the original mural is in an irreparable state. As a nonprofit organization, still committed to our mission of promoting peace, social justice and cultural understanding through the arts, education and community action, we have decided to invest in the future of La Peña by building a new mural with a new generation of politically conscious artists.  The old mural will be carefully dismantled and stored and we already are working with some ideas to reuse it and make it an important part of La Peña’s history.

We have now a great opportunity to bring into the fold a new generation of leaders in their field. Trust Your Struggle (TYS) is an artist collective of visual artists, educators, and cultural workers dedicated to social justice and community activism through the medium of art. They have produced gallery installations, live paintings, murals and arts education workshops with youth and community organizations since 2003.  Some of the TYS muralists have been students of the original artists!

We need to raise $17,000 by July 1st so we can take down the old mural, purchase the materials, resurface the wall and pay artist fees and other related costs. Using new weatherproof and lighter materials and new special paints (Politech), Trust Your Struggle will create a 21st century mural that represents the concept that arts and culture can help cultivate social and political awareness and activism.

For more information and a convenient way to donate, please visit La Peña’s indiegogo campaign page

Please help us getting the word out! Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook, tell your friends, spread the word!  La Peña needs yours and everybody’s help to write this new chapter of our history. This is also your personal story, the story of art and cultural activism in the Bay Area and beyond.