Future location for La Casa mural to be determined

By Daily Illini Saff Report

A mural in the former Casa Cultural Latina on Chalmers is going to be removed and possibly relocated.

The mural, a 1974 piece painted by UI alum and artist Oscar Martinez, highlights protest and activism in Latino heritage. It is currently being kept in the now unoccupied former La Casa Cultural Latina. The mural takes up multiple walls and is fit specifically to the room that houses it. The estimated cost to move and conserve the mural is $300,000, according to the media communications specialist at the Department of Facilities and Services Steven Breitwieser.

According to Breitwieser, the money will come from the Office of the Chancellor, the Office of the Provost, LAS and the Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs.

There is a possibility for a virtual version of the mural that would entail digitizing the whole room.

Alicia Rodriguez, an academic advisor in the department of Latino Studies, said the mural is more than just a pretty sight for some students. She said she hopes several of the panels of the mural will be permanently displayed on campus in locations where there will be heavy student traffic.

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“For Latino students and many alums, it is almost like the Alma Mater,” said Rodriguez. “It is a simple symbol of their presence and agency in the University.”