LA Artist Judy Baca Accused of Misusing Funds For Historic Mural

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Ten former employees, including two managers, who worked on The Great Wall of Los Angeles public collaborative mural, allege the revered Chicano artist Judy Baca has been misusing millions of dollars in grants earmarked for expanding the mural. Workers also accuse Baca, the co-founder and artistic director of Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC), a non-profit that organizes the mural production, of inappropriately profiting from the center's facilities, the sale of archives, and artwork related to the community-made mural. Baca and SPARC's board chair have strongly denied the claims.

Why it matters

The Great Wall of Los Angeles is one of the longest murals in the world, depicting the history of California 'as seen through the eyes of women and minorities.' The allegations against Baca, a revered Chicano artist, raise concerns about the management and funding of this historic community-driven public art project.

The details

According to an investigation by the Los Angeles Times, ten former employees, including two managers, who worked on The Great Wall of Los Angeles mural allege that Judy Baca, the artist who designed and leads the project, has been misusing millions of dollars in grants that were earmarked for expanding the mural. The workers also accuse Baca, the co-founder and artistic director of the non-profit Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC) that organizes the mural production, of inappropriately profiting from the center's facilities, the sale of archives, and artwork related to the community-made mural.

• The Great Wall of Los Angeles mural is one of the longest of its kind in the world at 2,700 feet, earning it a spot on the National Register of Historic Places.