Work on 'Modern Lemon Grove' Continues

Lemon Grove artists-in-residence Janne LaValle and Kathleen Strzelecki have been hard at work in the Public Works building on Kempf Street continuing their work on the ambitious final panel in the Lemon Grove History Mural.

When complete, "Modern Lemon Grove" will feature at least 30 portraits of local notables, and an additional 60 human figures representing the wide diversity of the city. While the painting process is in its second month, the mural's conception and planning has been nearly two years in the making.

The 65-foot-wide piece will be installed on the south side of the Grove Pastry Shop, joining the four sections already in place depicting Lemon Grove's history starting with the area's original inhabitants and traveling through time to the Spanish conquest of the 16th century, the Mexican empire in the early 1800s, and the city's beginnings around the turn of the 20th century.

The mural is the signature project of the Lemon Grove Historical Society, with funding provided by grants and donations. It is the first mural in the county to present the full history of a community, according to Helen Ofield, president of the historical society.

Ofield expects the final section will be ready to install in late August or early September. A public unveiling and reception will be planned.