Giant Mural at The Nat Salutes Regional Biodiversity Ahead of Museum’s 150th Year

As the Natural History Museum approaches its 150th anniversary, the Balboa Park institution is sprucing up its five-story atrium with a giant mural celebrating the biodiversity of San Diego and Baja California.

Named “Frasera” after a native flower, the 33-foot-tall, 23-foot-wide mural by Eva Struble, a San Diego State University art professor and accomplished landscape artist, was taking shape on Friday.

“We have long wanted to do something more interesting with this formally white wall,” said Judy Gradwohl, president and CEO of the museum. “The prompt we gave her is — our region is bursting with biodiversity.”

Struble took Iron Mountain in Poway as her inspiration, noting that she loves to hike there, and takes students on walks to teach nature drawing. Her design will include native plants and endangered species in their natural environment.

On Friday, six seniors from a biology class at San Diego High School were helping Struble by roughing in parts of the design. Struble is using ordinary house paint, which was donated to the museum by Dunn-Edwards.

“I think I should just have students here every day,” she quipped. “I should just stand on the side.”

In fact, she estimates it will take at least another week for her and assistant Jonny Pucci to complete the project.

Gradwohl said the mural is the first step in updating the museum for its 150th anniversary next year.