UPDATE! Diego Rivera mural makes a move from CCSF
Diego Rivera’s mural is moving from CCSF to SF MOMA.
January 10, 2020
Editor’s Note: This story was originally published Jan. 10, 2020
The Diego Rivera mural, named Pan American Unity, will be moving to its temporary home at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art for a Diego Rivera exhibit in 2020.
The mural will be moved piece by piece, placed on a truck, and transported across the city to eventually be displayed as the centerpiece of the exhibit.
The Pan American Unity Mural was created in the 1940s by Diego Rivera at Treasure Island. Rivera painted this mural because he believed, according to published reports at the time, “My mural will picture the fusion between the great past of the Latin American lands, as it is deeply rooted in the soil, and the high mechanical developments of the United States.”
The mural is the largest mural that Rivera painted, standing at 22 feet high and 74 feet wide.
The Pan American Unity Mural is laid upon panels that allow for individual panels to be moved and relocated. Every panel tells a different story.
Spanish teacher Debra Jensen takes her class every year to see the exhibit and according to her, “In the first panel is Nezahualcóyotl, an Aztec king and Renaissance man, who shares his flying machine. As we move over the next four panels it features leaders, artisans, and artists spanning more than 500 years.”
The mural was created by using the fresco method, which was used by artists in the Renaissance. This method involves applying pigment onto a thin layer of wet plaster.
Many people who admire Diego Rivera visit the mural to seek inspiration.
Jensen said, “Seeing a painting live is such a vibrant experience. Also, the mural tells so many stories and enables viewers to interact with the rich history Rivera shares.”
The mural will move to the Museum of Modern Art next year, but will come back to City College after the exhibit on Diego Rivera. Those who are fans of Diego Rivera will be able to see this mural from the crosswalk as it will be the first piece of artwork people will see.
Miles Poon ’20, President of the Riordan Art Club, said, “Honestly, I think artwork is meant to be appreciated and viewed by anyone, so wherever it gets the most viewed is where it should go.”