PRESS RELEASE
City of Porterville
291 N. Main Street
Porterville, CA 93257
For more information contact:
Yuriko Velarde, Administrative Analyst
yvelarde@ci.porterville.ca.us
September 22, 2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CENTENNIAL PARK MURAL RESTORATION APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL
At its meeting on September 20, 2022, the Porterville City Council approved the restoration and repainting of the Marching Through Time band mural in Centennial Park. At the request of the Porterville Mural Committee and with the recommendation from the City’s Arts Commission, the City Council had previously appropriated $40,000 for the restoration of the mural. The conservation of the mural is significant in depicting the rich history and importance of music and marching bands in the Porterville community. Over the years, the mural has experienced significant flaking and deterioration of the paint, which led the mural’s artist, Glen Hill, to contract with Fine Arts Conservation Laboratories (FACL) for the specialized project.
The restoration project by FACL will be completed in two phases. The first phase will be focusing on stopping the deterioration, which will then allow the artist to undertake pictorial restoration. Once the pictorial restoration is complete, Phase Two will be conducted, which will be the application of the protective layers which will ensure greater longevity of the mural. The City Council’s appropriation of $40,000 from its Special Purposes Reserve Fund will cover the cost of restoration by FACL in the amount of $38,227, and the $37,500 expense of the artist to repaint the mural will come from proceeds from two cannabis dispensaries soon to open in Downtown Porterville. Terms of the Development Agreements between the City and the dispensaries stipulate the payment of one percent (1%) of annual gross revenue toward a Community Benefits Program, including the promotion of the arts. Representing the Porterville Mural Committee, Denise Marchant expressed her sincere appreciation to the City Council for its consideration and support, and how dear the project was to her and the Porterville community.
