Proprietors of the incoming new Señor Fish restaurant in Echo Park may try to preserve the mural Quinceañera--a 1996 work by Theresa Powers—which was seen being sandblasted off the former Pescado Mojado restaurant Friday, prompting an online firestorm by mural activists.
raising fears that the new owners were going to remove or destroy it.
But Jimmy and Enrique Ramirez now say they have contacted Powers Thursday to ask if she wanted the mural to be saved, KCET reports:
Powers surrendered the mural that, with an open sight line thanks to a parking lot across the street, has been a visible community landmark documenting the rite of passage ritual celebrating a Latina's 15th birthday.
However, Powers had a change of heart and left a voice mail Friday morning, asking the mural to be stay intact. The message was not recovered until mid-day after sandblasting began, explained Jimmy Ramirez Monday morning.
Through a friend, Powers left the following comment on the Echo Park Patch website Saturday, explaining her side of the story, which conflicts a bit with the KCET report above:
The new owner contacted me this week and he told me on Wednesday about his plans to remove it. I've spoken to Cultural Affairs and apparently my only legal right is to get 90 days notice before it's removed; I've told the owner I don't give my permission for him to remove it, but it looks like permission won't come into play here. I'm looking into what it would take to reproduce it on vinyl and relocate it either in LA or San Antonio. The owner has told me he's stopped removing the mural until I get back to him.
Meantime, activists have begun a letter-writing campaign to CD 13's Eric Garcetti and are calling for a boycott of Senor Fish.
Julie Wong, of the CD 13 office, says it is up to the building's owner to decide whether the mural will remain.
