New student art mural celebrating Native American Heritage Month unveiled in Temecula
TEMECULA, CA ─ The City of Temecula, Community Services Department, Temecula Valley Unified School District, and the Temecula Valley Museum announce a new Student Art Mural in Sam Hicks Monument Park (28300 Mercedes Street). This temporary public art piece celebrates Native American Heritage Month.
LEADING THE RCNS HEADLINES:
Jurupa Valley traffic stop, search warrant yields cocaine, meth, heroin, handguns
Although using crosswalk, Hemet pedestrian was crossing against red light when fatally struck
Ontario fentanyl dealer charged with murder after Eastvale overdose death
Ejected from vehicle, driver dies after Norco solo-vehicle crash
Local woman, 22, ID’d after deadly head-on wreck in Temecula
Temecula’s Student Art Mural Project seeks to support emerging artists by providing a space to showcase their craft. Each month, student artists are provided the opportunity to paint a mural on varying topics, facilitated by Bigfoot Graphics. This month’s theme honors Native American Heritage Month which was officially declared by United States President George H. W. Bush in 1990 for November.
City of Temecula officials have proudly announced the placement of a temporary public art piece, which was unveiled at the Sam Hicks Monument Park last week. The mural, a collaboration of local Native American Indians, celebrates Native American Heritage Month. City of Temecula photo
This beautiful mural was created by Pechanga Chámmakilawish School students, led by Principal Andrew Maisel and third-grade teacher, Amalika Jackson. The school consulted with Myra Maisel of Pechanga Cultural Resources and Vanessa Hogan of Tribal Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) to plan the artwork, representing Native life in the valley, both past and present. Artist Junior Villalobos sketched out the mural, featuring The Great Oak Tree, an eagle, native plants, the Pechanga Casino, an automobile, and youth participating in traditional games and living in traditional Kíicha (homes). The mural was a group effort, with every child (ages 3 to 10) adding to the artwork. The artists came from the Mommy & Me group, Pre-Kindergarten, and Kindergarten to Fifth Grade students, all adding color and artistry to proudly represent their people, the Payómkawichum, which means the People of the West in the Pechanga language.
Temecula Mayor Maryann Edwards commented, “The City of Temecula has always been closely aligned with our Native American neighbors and has a deep appreciation for their history and culture, which are synonymous with Temecula. This outstanding mural by the children of Pechanga Chámmakilawish School celebrates their rich heritage and bright future and is exactly what we had hoped to achieve when we began this Student Art Mural Project.”
The mural will be displayed beginning the second week of NOV 2021 at Sam Hicks Monument Park, and was officially unveiled on Tuesday, Nov. 9.
The museum also celebrates Native American Heritage Month through facts and free crafts in the Temecula Valley Woman’s Club Art and Education Room. 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 monthly. For more information, please call (951) 694-6450.
Submitted by City of Temecula
Contact the editor: [email protected]
Trevor Montgomery, 50, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).
Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.