Ernesto de la Loza presents his just restored 1975 mural "Organic Stimulus." /Photo by Andrew Roman

Artists, city leaders, community members and fans joined muralist Ernesto de la Loza in a rededication ceremony for his 1975 mural “Organic Stimulus” at Estrada Courts housing projects in Boyle Heights on Sunday. This restoration was funded by a grant awarded by the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) and is part of a new program led by the Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles (MCLA) to revive dozens of nearby murals that have been neglected and vandalized.

“This is an example of what can be done,” MCLA Executive Director Isabel Rojas-Williams told The Eastsider LA.

“It is MCLA’s goal to raise attention and money to restore one mural at a time -with the help of private and public donors- for the on-going restoration program at Estrada Courts,” Rojas-Wlliams added in an email.

Read more about the preservation of murals in Boyle Heights here.

Note: A previously published version of this story incorrectly said the DCA was funding the new restoration program.

My background: I was born in Mexico and raised in Boyle Heights, where I got my start in journalism by launching a community blog. Most recently, I worked at the Los Angeles Times and have spent most of my career covering local news in LA, with a focus on community-centered stories, Latino communities and mentoring emerging writers.

What I do: I lead coverage of Boyle Heights and East LA across all platforms to inform, connect and uplift our community. I spend my days listening, planning, editing and coordinating to make sure our stories reflect the community fairly, while supporting and mentoring my team of reporters and freelancers so they can grow along the way.

Why LA?: It’s home. It’s the sounds of Spanglish and other languages, the smell of tacos and kimchi, the way street art tells stories and how, even though I hate traffic, I love how the freeways can take me to the beach or the mountains on a whim.

The best way to contact me: My email is jessica.perez@boyleheightsbeat.org.

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