Tempers flared at a recent community meeting when Latino residents in San Jose’s northside neighborhood advocated for design approval of a Chicano-themed mural.
Critics of the proposed mural at Backesto Park, including the members of the 13th Street Neighborhood Advisory Committee , turned out Wednesday evening for a meeting arranged by City Hall officials, hosted by District 3 Councilmember Carl Salas. The committee criticized the proposed mural, saying they already had art planned for the wall at the park’s handball court before the pandemic, even though they had yet to come up with a design.
Project coordinator Ramon Castillo said support from residents, cultural advocates and, most importantly, the San Jose arts community, proved there’s a huge demand for public art representing Northside and its Chicano community.
Castillo said he discussed the mural proposal with city officials starting last year and followed the process expecting the mural design to be approved at the Arts Commission April 1 meeting. It was then met with unexpected opposition at the meeting, delaying a decision until April 21…