Glenna Avila

Glenna Boltuch Avila is an American artist. Avila's work has been exhibited at the Laguna Art Museum and she and her work has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, and on KPCC. Her work is held in the collection of the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Early life and education In 1953, Avila was born in Los Angeles to a musician. Interested in contemporary art, Avila attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1971. During her time at UCLA, Avila and a friend started a program to bring artists to the school to speak about conceptual art. She later became the Wallis Annenberg Director of Youth Programs for the Community Arts Partnership program at CalArts, creating murals in Los Angeles county elementary schools while incorporating children and the community.

Work

L.A. Freeway Kids One of Los Angeles' most iconic murals and most notable artwork of Glenna Avila's is the L.A. Freeway Kids completed in 1984. Located on the Hollywood 101 South freeway, the L.A. Freeway Kids mural is one of the ten murals commissioned to celebrate the 1984 Olympics held in Los Angeles as well as youth, athletics and cultural diversity. The mural does incorporate a variety of racial identity in which it allows everyone to identify with it. The colors used in the mural ranges from warm to cool since it gives a colorful and positive feel of the children. The community of Los Angeles is also represented in the mural which can be seen on most of the children's shirts including the L.A. Zoo, Disney, the Children's Museum, and UCLA. Avila states her belief about community on museums by saying, “I believe that the museum today has a responsibility to involve its community and make its museum a place that welcomes community, reflects community and supports community.” Avila believes that community is an important aspect in art as it brings people from different backgrounds whether black, white, brown, or Asian together. The L.A. Freeway Kids represent the diversity and community within Southern California in hopes to inspire and incorporate everyone in the community to be who they are and pursue involvement together.

L.A. Freeway Kids was restored in 2012 by Los Angeles based artist and muralist Willie Herrón. Herrón, the Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles' head restorer, stated "We thought we could bring murals back to their original glory to create a drive-by gallery," when speaking of the Los Angeles Freeway Olympic Murals.