Renovated Snoopy Bridge in Tarzana unveiled
LOS ANGELES - The newly renovated Snoopy Bridge in Tarzana was unveiled on Monday.
Los Angeles City Councilman Bob Blumenfield joined community members and students from Tarzana Elementary School to unveil the restored art panels on the one-of-a-kind Snoopy Bridge.
The iconic bridge, located on Wilbur Ave. between Ventura Blvd. and Hatteras St. was built in 1971.
Over time, the images began fading and were defaced with graffiti. Kirk Donovan, a resident of Reseda, started a repair campaign about five months ago after finding out that the art panels were donated by Schulz himself.
Blumenfield's office joined community members, Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates and Hattas Studios to restore the panels. The councilman secured $20,000 in funding and contracted with Hattas Studios to bring the murals back to their original condition. As part of the work, the studio also applied an anti-graffiti coating to deter future vandalism, and if it occurs, it will make it easier to clean the panels.
The 12 panels feature various images of Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and other characters from the Peanuts gang.
How did the pedestrian bridge get its iconic panels? According to reports, a PTA member at Tarzana Elementary asked Charles Schultz to donate drawings of Charlie Brown and his friends to decorate the bridge. There is also a rumor that his niece, who was at the school, requested the drawings from her uncle, according to Valley News Group.
Needless to say, the cartoon-filled bridge is a community landmark in the San Fernando Valley and has brought joy to many people.