“25TH STREET MOSAIC WALL”
by Julie Bender
Armed with a fine arts degree, Julie Bender shifted gears and became one of the first two female graduates from the LA City Fire Academy. While staying home and raising four children Bender continued to paint and began working with clay and today has become a specialist in glass-infused, hand sculpted mosaics. “The history of San Pedro is being lost” says Bender and in 2017 she took the first steps toward fulfilling a 10-year dream of turning 2,000 feet of retaining wall along 25th St into a visual tribute to the city. After an arduous two year process of navigating resident permissions, bureaucratic hurdles, and fundraising efforts Bender guided the work of 300 volunteer helpers and the completion of her finished wall was celebrated in June, 2019.
