Clearwater Mural Restoration Begins

A two-month project to restore the Clearwater Mural of the Palisades and to add a new section of the mural is under way on the north side of the Sav-on building on Swarthmore. Last Thursday, Palisades artist Terri Bromberg began inspecting and cleaning the mural that she completed in 1999. Assisted by Merry Ealy, the two are removing stickers, graffiti, and rubber and grease deposits left by skateboarders (who used the base of the mural to slide or ‘grind’ along). ‘The grinding scraped off the paint and caused significant damage to the base of the mural,’ said Stuart Muller, who conceived of the paroramic scene to serve as a backdrop to the Village Green, eliminate the urban blight that had been endemic to the area and create an open public space. ‘We installed anti-grinding devices several months ago, and they seem to have eliminated the grinding problem.’ After the mural is cleaned, the damaged areas will be repaired and a new anti-graffiti coating applied. Albertson’s/Sav-on is funding the anti-grinding devices, the paint and coating, supplies and the painter’s lift. In addition, the company will make lighting and other improvements to the area, according to Muller. The new mural section will provide a view towards Santa Monica Canyon, and will include the east end of Santa Monica Bay and the Ysidro Reyes Adobe (formerly near the intersection of Sunset and Chautauqua). This work, which Bromberg began Monday, has been funded by a grant from the Pacific Palisades Junior Women’s Club and an anonymous donor. The estimated cost of the entire project is $16,000 and ‘will totally drain our existing mural maintenance fund,’ said Muller, who represents this area of town on the Community Council. ‘Residents and business people can help insure the healthy future of this magnificent community asset,’ he said, by sending a donation to Palisades PRIDE (with the notation Clearwater Mural Maintenance Fund), 15330 Antioch, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272.