SANTA FE SPRINGS – A new four-panel mural celebrating the life of the late civil rights leader Cesar Chavez was approved Thursday by the City Council.

The artwork by Los Angeles-based artist Karen Koblitz was one of five submitted to the city to be placed in the Santa Fe Springs City Library’s reading garden named for Chavez.

"The mural that I’ve designed honors the legacy of Cesar Chavez’s commitment to education, literacy and the environment," she said.

"These are values that libraries revere," said Hilary Keith, director of library and cultural services.

She researched important milestones in Chavez’s life, especially his work on behalf of farm workers.

    
  A sample of the type of work Artist Karen Koblitz is to install at the Cesar Chavez Reading Garden at the Santa Fe Springs Public Library. (SGVN/Staff Photo by Eric Reed)

One panel depicts the farm worker with a short-handled hoe which Chavez, through protest, eliminated from use for its backbreaking effect on workers.

There is also a Mexican tree of life prominently located in the middle of the mural, as well as bookending its two borders.

"If the wall were to close into a circle in a future project, these trees would become whole, metaphorically embracing the theme of the work," Koblitz said.

The mural also highlights the city’s qualities, such as its Native American heritage, commerce, oil drilling and family.

To mark the importance of family to the community, the artist included a family portrait in a decorative frame.

But the overall theme is Chavez.

"His life was inspirational, and I want those who see the mural to be likewise inspired to do their best for themselves, their community and the environment," said Koblitz, 59. "Growing up in California, I certainly was aware of what an important figure he was."

The 55-foot by 4-foot mural will be made from about 1,200 pounds of clay, will take about eight to nine months and cost $95,000.

It will be paid for through the city’s Public Art and Art Education Program.

"The money is from restricted funds designated for public art," said Assistant City Manager Thaddeus McCormack. "Developers pay a fee specified to fund this program."

The outdoor garden is part of the $5 million library improvement project completed in July.

The interior of the 51-year-old, 15,000-square-foot library was gutted and completely remodeled.

It was paid for with funds from the city’s Redevelopment Agency earmarked for a capitol improvement project like the library’s face-lift.

     
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