Please join us for the “unveiling” of the new mural, Bienvenidos al Canal, on Saturday, July 31, from 10 to 11:30 am. The mural is strategically located at the gateway to the Canal neighborhood: the intersection of Bellam and Belvedere (3301 Kerner Blvd). The celebration will include music by ELM, with the mural unveiling and remarks at 10:30 am. (Cultural themes and mural design were developed in collaboration with Voces del Canal community leaders, pictured here).

The fifty-six foot mural is the work of artists Isidoro Filadelfo Angeles, Yuan Chen and Oscar Morales. Also contributing to the project are youth artists from Drawbridge, a local arts organization that provides arts activities for unhoused and underserved children.

“Latinos comprise 30% of San Rafael’s population, many of whom live in the Canal along with other diverse immigrant populations,” notes Omar Carrera, Canal Alliance CEO. “Public art is one way to raise the profile of the community and to elevate the voices and stories of those who are coming to this country with dreams, drive and determination.”

The project is among a series of murals created for Canal Alliance and sponsored by the Canal Arts Initiative (CAI), a partnership of eleven local organizations, including Storek Studio/Architecture, Marin Society of Artists, the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce, Art Works Downtown, and Dominican University of California, all united to promote public arts in East San Rafael and the Canal. The entire process is being captured in a film documentary designed to foster public understanding of this multi-cultural community and depict the process of mural making.

The mural is located at a former commercial building that was recently acquired by the County. It is currently being used for emergency housing and is scheduled for conversion to permanent affordable residential units with on-site support services by Eden Housing.