The mural, dubbed “Heroes,” celebrates
the late Rep. John Lewis and actor Chadwick Boseman. “I’m interested in celebrating icons from other cultures,” Cabral said.Vasco and Depot Bookstore & Cafe owner Paul Lazzareschi initially allowed Cabral to keep the mural within the fence line of his space, but Equator Coffees co-founder Helen Russell created a path to have the mural placed on the wall of 34 Miller Ave. containing Urban Remedy, the back half of which serves as the commissary for Equator. It now sits alongside the historic, billboard-size Mt. Tamalpais Hikers Trail map.
Russell was joined at the event by Equator co-founder Brooke McDonnell, as well as Gravity Tavern co-owner Lara Trupelli, whose restaurant sits on the other side of the lane from 34 Miller. Mill Valley Lumber Yard co-owner Jan Mathews attended, and Russell said “Heroes” will make its way eventually to MVLY and later to Proof Lab in Tam Junction in an effort to make sure as many members of the community see it as possible.
Zoe Fry was on hand to expand on the group art project she led featuring a trio of free-standing doors in the Depot Plaza as a way to promote racial justice, with each door built around a timeline of racial inequity and systemic racism.
The mural celebration comes amidst an absolute surge of conscious activism and artistic energy in Mill Valley that has galvanized the community, from youth-fueled long overdue conversations on racial equity and policing in Mill Valley to a blossoming of inspired art. Cabral continued his work on the heels of the news that a Kentucky grand jury brought no charges against Louisville police for the March 13th death of Breonna Taylor, who was gunned down in her home during a no-knock raid connected to an ex-boyfriend. Cabral’s Taylor mural remains in the plaza area.
Check out a video of the celebration below: