The City of Temecula, Temecula Valley Unified School District, and Temecula Valley Museum unveiled a new Student Art Mural in Sam Hicks Monument Park in celebration of Japan’s Children’s Day and Asian Pacific Heritage Month
The City of Temecula, Community ServicesDepartment, Temecula Valley Unified School District, and the Temecula Valley Museum announce a new, Student Art Muralin Sam Hicks Monument Park (28300 Mercedes Street). This temporary public art piece celebrates Japan’s Children’s Day, in honor of Temecula’s Sister City Daisen-Nakayama, Japan and in celebration of Asian Pacific Heritage Month in May.
The mural celebrating Japan’s Children’s Day on May 5th, was conceived by City of Temecula staff to honor the more than 30-year Sister City relationship with the City of Daisen, Japan. Painted by Great Oak High School student, LyBucci, and UC Irvine student Amanda Le, the artists wanted to incorporate their memories of celebratingJapan’s Children’s Day in Old Town Temecula, including Koinobori (carp streamers) and origami.
They also wanted to represent the connection between the two sister cities, Temecula and Daisen, by showcasing the Tori Gate at the Temecula Duck Pond, and the iconic Mt. Daisen in Japan. Accompanying the mural are family sets of Koinobori that were generously gifted to the City of Temecula by Daisen families.
Hiroyuki Sumi, Superintendent of Daisen School District stated “We would like to present a few sets of Koinobori donated by some families in Daisen. As they used to hang up in the sky ofJapan, some of them are modern and others are very old.We hope you regard them as representations of our history andthe tradition of the family.”
Temecula Mayor Maryann Edwards commented, “The City of Temecula is proud of our longstandingfriendship with the citizens of Daisen, Japan. We are honored to be the recipient of this very meaningful gift,and we hope that the student’s mural acknowledges our appreciation for Japan’s ancient celebration ofchildren and deepens our respect for their customs and traditions.”
The Student Art Mural Project is organized by Temecula Valley Museum. Local art students are invited to paint murals on canvas that will be displayed in Sam Hicks Monument Park. This specific mural can be viewed through early June.
The museum will also celebrate Asian Pacific Heritage Month with its monthly Second Saturday At HomeCultural Celebration. The museum will travel virtually to celebrate the country of Japan in the month of April.
Visitors can experience the beautiful country and culture of Japan through activities including crafts, cultural facts, recipes and amazing virtual tours found at TemeculaValleyMuseum.org. The museum also offers a special, free, live-streamed art lesson provided by Bigfoot Art Classes on SAT, MAY 8, 2021 at 11:00 am for a fun, 90-minute, mixed-media lesson online. For more information, please call (951) 694-6450.