Video: Cool Documentary Explains Meaning Behind East L.A. Murals

A video made by students shows numerous East L.A. murals and the stories behind them.

Surrounded by Art: The Murals of City Terrace was made by students working with the City Terrace Public Library. The students interviewed artists, Los Angeles Mural Conservancy Director Isabel Rojas-Williams and their fellow neighbors.

Early murals contained religious themes and as an example, the video highlights George Yepes' mural 'El Tepeyac de Los Angeles' on St. Lucy's Catholic Church on City Terrace Blvd.

The students then visit Willie Herrón III, a well-known street artist who has worked with Chicano art collective ASCO, among other groups.

Herrón talks about his commissioned piece on Mercado Hidalgo, which the builder owner asked him to paint. It represents the work of Miguel Hidalgo, a Mexican Catholic priest who led the Mexican War of Independence against Spain in the early 1800s.

Herrón also shows his mural 'The Wall that Cracked Open,' which was painted in an alley to protest against gang violence. Herrón was personally affected by the issue when his brother was beaten by a local gang in 1972. Herrón says he was inspired walking back from the hospital and painted the piece throughout that night.

"It was to...protest gang warfare, to protest the concept of revenge," he says.