VISALIA – A new mural will beautify the City of Visalia this year promoting a local business and the Visalia community as being “locally grown.”
At its Feb. 20 meeting, the Visalia City Council unanimously approved a mural to be painted on the west wall of Tucoemas Federal Credit Union, located at the northeast corner of Akers Street and Cypress Avenue.
The 37.5-foot wide by 16-foot tall mural depicts families gathered at an agricultural and farmers’ market scene with the Sierra Nevada range and a sunrise in the background. The mural is unique in that it will incorporate two separate building walls. The block wall that serves as the building’s outdoor patio will display the mural’s orchard, mountain range, and a small portion of the sky. The building wall that is visible above the outdoor patio wall will display the mural’s skyline and sunrise. When the image is viewed from Akers Street, it will appear as one image.
Tucoemas is commissioning artist Colleen Mitchell-Veyna to paint the mural. Mitchell-Veyna, has painted over 200 murals across the United States, and most recently painted an agricultural-themed mural on the Tulare County Farm Bureau building at 737 North Ben Maddox Way. Locally, she is best known for her work in Exeter, which includes six murals painted between 1996 and 2015.
The Tucoemas mural was approved on Jan. 23 by a Mural Panel consisting of a representative from the Arts Consortium (Erin Olm-Shipman), Arts Visalia (Alison Schlick Miniaci), and a mayoral appointment (Larry Segrue). The purpose of the Mural Panel is to assure compliance with local ordinances and the mural guidelines, and to determine whether or not the artist has the ability to produce a quality piece of art. The Mural Panel met on Jan. 23, with Tucoemas Federal Credit Union representatives to discuss the mural. The Panel felt that the proposed mural was in compliance the City’s Mural Guidelines and Procedures.
One aspect of the mural that was carefully considered by the panel was Tucoemas’ logo being depicted on a fruit crate in the foreground. The logo totaled 1 square foot of a 600-square foot mural, which the panel deemed “inconspicuous.”
Work is expected to begin this spring subsequent to obtaining approval. Tucoemas Federal Credit Union is the owner of the building and will maintain the mural.
