Mia Tavonatti and her art students have begun painting a new mural on Laguna Canyon Road–and their work shows no hint of bitterness.
As you may recall, the 82-foot-long mural that previously adorned the space was painted over last year by a winery owner who apparently didn't want it on the side wall of his business. That mural was created in 2003 by Tavonatti's students at Laguna College of Art & Design, and served as public work of art.
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Marlowe Huber, co-owner of Laguna Canyon Winery, painted the wall gray after he had been denied permission by the city to put signage on the wall. He called it a misunderstanding and eventually offered a monetary contribution towards the mural's restoration.
Tavonatti, who was once “disheartened” by the incident, rallied her current students to create a new masterpiece to fill the space. “Wonder” was chosen for the theme and a design by student Cheryl Kook was selected as the new mural template. Laguna Beach Patch has a video of the painting process, now underway.
