Group rallies and saves City Heights mural

As pedestrians walk down a busy street in City Heights, their eyes are drawn to a colorful mural on the wall of a building that houses a 7-Eleven. The painting of a hungry bear snacking on a sprinkled doughnut sits below the store’s neon sign.

The artist behind the artwork, who goes by the moniker GMONIK, said he wanted to create something that was uplifting.

What better way to unify people than with food, GMONIK said. “Everybody can get behind eating.”

The mural “Bear Essentials” was completed in August. It’s one of 20 murals commissioned by The Avenue Mural Project, an initiative organized in partnership with the community organization Love City Heights and other local groups to address a graffiti issue in the area.

Carlos Quezada, co-founder of Love City Heights, said he was notified last week that the “Bear Essentials” mural needed to be removed. The 7-Eleven store on 35th Street and University Avenue has two murals facing the alley and “Bear Essentials” on the side.

“After careful consideration, 7-Eleven Corporation decided that the mural in the back of the alley could stay; however, the mural facing University Ave (sic) would have to be removed as it is considered a distraction from the 7-Eleven signage,” read the notification mailed to Quezada.

Quezada said he was confused by the request to remove the mural given Love City Heights had gotten permission from the landlord of the property and the franchise owner. They were also presented with the design before any painting began, he said.

“I didn’t understand what the problem was, like are they telling me it’s too good?” he said. “I didn’t really understand their reasoning behind it.”

Organizers and supporters of the project were ready to rally support for the mural to prevent it from being removed. They began to collect signatures, encouraged people to email corporate headquarters and explored the idea of creating a social media campaign to encourage 7-Eleven to change its mind.

The company did.

“7-Eleven recognizes the community’s support for the mural,” read a statement emailed by 7-Eleven, Inc. on Tuesday. “It will not be removed.”

The artist and his partner Danielle Iwatsu, who helped paint the mural, were relieved to hear that the mural will stay. They were especially taken back by the support they received from the community.

“This is pretty amazing, that’s a first community win,” Quezada said.

The goal of The Avenue Mural Project is to create a “drive-thru” gallery along University Avenue to create a positive environment for residents and a place other San Diegans would want to visit.

“We’re not Barrio Logan, we don’t have the freeway, we don’t have beaches, we don’t have Balboa Park,” he said. “We got a lot of concrete and we got a lot of walls so we’re making lemonade out of lemons.”

Love City Heights plans to continue working with local businesses to add murals along University Avenue.

Quezada was ecstatic when he was notified Tuesday afternoon that 7-Eleven agreed to keep the mural. He said the company’s decision to keep the mural will help it build ties in City Heights.