11. Murals
and Cultural Heritage
Olivia Gude: Yes. But see this is an example of I think a letter
campaign, basically. You're writing to Metra. You're writing articles
in the Hyde Park paper. And it basically says, "We believe in
development." It's great to do all this cool stuff in the train
stations. But we don't have to choose between development and loss.
That development can be a rehonoring of cultural heritage. This is
what you do. Mitchell [Cattan] is the one who said this. I just burst
into tears when I read this in a report when we were doing a tribute
to Mitchell in our CPAG newsletter, when he died a couple of years
ago. In his report that he filed on "Man's Inhumanity to Man,"
which is still in the archives of CPAG, basically says there may come
a day when this mural no longer speak to the community. Then it may
be torn down. But for now, the important thing is that this mural is
about the community. What's happening here. There may come a day when
it no longer speaks to it. Then its time is gone. But it makes this
balance. I think that's one of the things that a lot of us as muralists
really take to heart. I think we have to ask as an individual. I'm
not for preserving every mural that was ever painted. But on an individual
case-by-case basis, we need to look at these things and say, "Is
this significant? Does this represent a real cultural loss to let this
go?" I think that the kids by educating them about the work by
having them have this activist publicity component including an activist
demonstration. Like having your kids do a demonstration or hold a press
conference in front of a mural about, "Save our cultural legacy."
This could be some really interesting work. Kids really think about
it. The other thing that's so interesting about that I think for the
students is because it basically [inaudible] issues, "What is
your culture?" Is your culture what you see on TV? Is your culture
what someone made in your community? I mean those are complex questions.
But the notion of actually claiming a culture and then working to defend
it I think is a really important and significant part of an education.
So I just wanted to go through a couple of other of these. This one
is just kind of there. It's not under immediate threat. Carol [Yasko]
is still alive. I don't know if you know her. She lives in Hyde Park.
I totally recommend you get involved with her.
M2: What are you saying?
Olivia Gude: Carol [Yasko], who painted this. Oh, I'm sorry, I mean
Astrid Fuller. She lives in Hyde Park. I've got her number if you want
to call me.
M2: Yes.
Olivia Gude: She's retired, now.
M2: She used to be probably the most well-known and the one everybody
talked about 20 years ago.
Olivia Gude: Right. But I mean I've talked to her about if she wanted
to get interested in restoring stuff. She didn't, really. But I think
then that one of the things that might happen is a campaign for the
mural restoration, and of course if she doesn't want to restore it,
we can always let someone else do it under her guidance. But I actually
think she's someone you could coax out to the wall, personally.
M2: This is quite a daring picture, too. Actually it's showing the
kind of industrialization and corruption of education. Over here they
show little kids, and you're not too clear if they're human here, and
then they're being turned into a product, here, by an industrial product.
Over here, it shows politicians sort of gambling for the money that's
supposed to go to schools. It's a daring picture, and it's put up right
across from the school. It's like throwing down the challenge to modern
education.
Olivia Gude: This is a great mural to read for the political allegory
of it. It's a wonderful piece.
M2: That's a little bit closer up. This is very badly damaged. You
really have to look at it to see all the things.
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