Sí, se puede. Mural-filled Chicano Park has been the heart of Barrio Logan since the early 1970s. This weekend, a new pillar will rise at the National Historic Landmark as the long-awaited Chicano Park Museum and Cultural Center (CPMCC) opens its doors.

Housed inside a nondescript brick building adjacent to the park at 1960 National Ave., the CMPCC will feature exhibitions designed to educate visitors about local Chicana/o, Latina/o, and Indigenous culture + history. Let’s check it out.

Another view of the new community center. | Photo via Monica Garske + SDtoday

🎊 The debut

The CPMCC’s grand opening celebration is on Sat., Oct. 8, from 12-6 p.m. The inaugural exhibition is “PILLARS: Stories of Resilience and Self-Determination” — a “collective historical narrative of Chicano Park and Logan Heights.”

The exhibition highlights key elements of the Chicano Park Movement, which was partly based on the struggles of farm workers, cultural + land protection, and education reform.

Expect nods to the Brown Berets — the influential Chicano organization — Centro Cultural de la Raza, the Chicano Park Steering Committee and more pivotal community groups. There’s also an art installation by Chicano Park leader Salvador “Queso” Torres.

There’s no other place in the world like Chicano Park in Barrio Logan. | Photo via Monica Garske + SDtoday

🤝 The future

The 10,000-sqft CPMCC will be open for everyone to enjoy — a place where locals can take pride in the community + build relationships.

The public will be invited to educational classes + activities focused on literature, science, history, and — of course — arts.

“By preserving a history of struggle, we will educate and empower individuals to become agents of change in their own communities,” the museum’s mission states.

Chicano Park is home to 80+ vibrant murals. | Photo via Monica Garske + SDtoday

🎨 A vibrant foundation

The 7.4-acre Chicano Park located beneath the San Diego-Coronado Bridge is an outdoor “museum” of murals unlike anything else — a symbol of activism + community. More than 80 works of art cover its concrete pillars, making it the largest concentration of Chicano murals in the world. Check out our Instagram feed to see the park today.

Meanwhile, the CPMCC has long been in the works. In 2018, the San Diego City Council voted to approve a 20-year lease for the museum site. You can donate to the CPMCC to keep the movement going.