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Ernesto Yerena Montejano, currently a Boyle Heights resident and originally from Imperial County, and his team of fellow artists Arlene Mejorado and Ayerim Leon — complete with friends and families" painted the mura.

It belongs to the Imperial Valley, but was one of 14 California commissions art projects as part of a collaboration between the Governor's Office, CA Dept of Public Health and The Center at Sierra Health Foundation. The commissioning program aimed to raise awareness about Covid19 within the State's hardest hit areas. Each an governmental agency stakeholder in the project along with curators who selected the artist for this mural.

The building's owner, which appears to be a someone poised to sell it soon is also a stakeholder and most importantly, local resident are active stakeholders as they began adding names of family members who died because of Covid on the western corner of the mural unprompted and without explicit instruction or permission.

The mural is located at 739 N. Imperial Avenue in El Centro. It is precariously positioned because although the current owner of the building has promised to protect it for the next 6 months (per Jun 10, 2021), the next owner of the building may cover over the mural. The mural was completed over 1 week by 5+ painters under the direction of  the artist Ernesto Yerena Montejano on May 30, 2021.

It brings together community members to commorate the toll Covid 19 has taken on the community. It provides a public service message to continue masking and thereby taking care of the community. And it adds an element of beauty and artfulness to what was a run-down building exterior

The mural covers the entire side of one building. The background is painted in purples, blue and yellow. One side of the wall is painted "Protege A Nuestra Comunidad!"|"Protect our Community!"

The centerpiece of the mural both figuratively and literally is a beautiful woman (anywhere beteween 20-40yo) in traditional dress with two long strands of brown braided hair holding a bouquet of colorful flowers tied together with a yellow sash. She is wear a face mask to back up the Covid-19 theme.

The flowers she holds is both a reference to the business--"Cynthia's Flower Connection" which has since moved as well as a tribute to the community and their deceased members who died of Covid. One indication is that community members began adding names to the side of the mural as a tribute to lost family members.

This mural is a public-works project commissioned by the State and agencies. It was created by an artist who has ties to the area. It is also meant to be a public health message, another way to reach local residents who have been "locked in"

“Right away we saw how powerful the mural was in bringing people together, especially after this year where we've been locked in and it's been hard to communicate with our community,” he said. Per David Varela, “People are slowly making their way to the mural and are able to mourn a little bit too,” Varela said. “It's really healthy to mourn and I think people are getting a chance to do that through the mural. I knew we'd not only get a beautiful mural, but a powerful message.”

coming soon

Not effective: reporting irregular activities via app (Ms Hsu only did it once)

Regulation of air pollution

Rural renewal and investement programs

Monitoring

Local action (link1) (link2) (link3)

Law for Taisi villagers to get compensation (but lack of strategy for bureaucrats)

Media coverage of the exhibition "Where the South Wind Blows"

Interview by PTS- Our Island (link1) (link2)、THE REPORTER (link1) (link2)

2012: PTS  photographer 鍾聖雄came to document village in the shadow the factory

Smelling the pollution 

Government initiated monitoring infrastructure not from the very beginning but only after the explosions

Ms Hsu’s family is respected, leading the talks between villagers and company  

Support by Mayor Ko

Asked the local councilors to take action (2002)

Protests

Photo collection, press conference, organized villagers to go to Taipei (they were more excited about the high speed rail?); visit and signature by the Vice president Chen 陳建仁

Ask the EPA to set up monitor (moving) 

“Number” system for reporting explosion/illegal emission

Witness Theatre

Exhibition in national museums 

Protest against the No. 8, especially after two  2010 explosions 

2005: Prof. Chang swimming naked; publishing 

Formosa Plastics: released two press releases after the exhibition, arguing that 1) people live long and 2) blaming individual behaviors (smoking? Drinking? betel nut?)

2010: Formosa starts investing in Mailiao 

2020: investigation into the reg

No action by locals before the proposed No. 8 complex

Old Villagers (farmers, 100/280+ more than 80 years old.

Department of Hygiene

Young population moving to the city, and thinking about compensation

Formosa Plastics: You see the light, you see the money

Changhua Environmental Protection Union (彰化環保聯盟): learning about Formosa pollution issues after  a tour of the No. 5 complex