Residents in East San José are grappling with a profound sense of loss after two community murals celebrating local history, youth, and Indigenous culture were abruptly painted over following a building sale.
The Sale and the Disappearing Murals
The dispute centers on a property transaction finalized last October between the local nonprofit ConXión to Community and the food assistance provider Martha’s Kitchen, as detailed by San José Spotlight. ConXión sold the facility but retained a 10-year lease for approximately 10,000 square feet to continue its operations on-site. However, a breakdown in communication left the fate of two culturally significant murals entirely unaddressed in the paperwork.
The artwork vanished on August 8, leaving ConXión President and CEO Lori Ramos Chavez staring at a blank exterior wall. According to reporting by NBC Bay Area, Chavez noted that no other portion of the building was touched. “No warning, nothing else was painted, so it wasn’t like they were painting the whole building, it was just those things,” Chavez said.
Competing Accounts Over Gentleman’s Agreements
At the heart of the standoff lies a direct contradiction regarding what was discussed before the transaction. Ramos Chavez maintains that multiple walkthroughs included explicit conversations about preserving the artwork. “We considered (putting it in writing), but it was a gentleman’s agreement,” Ramos Chavez told San José Spotlight. “We said, ‘We really like these. They’re part of the community. They’ve been here for a while,’ and [Bill Lee] said, ‘Oh yeah, I agree. If they’ve been here for a while, they should stay.’”
Martha’s Kitchen Executive Director Bill Lee firmly disputes this version of events, stating that the topic was never raised during negotiations. Lee explained that the exterior required repainting due to peeling, faded paint and necessary waterproofing to protect the interior from leaks. He emphasized that the decision stemmed entirely from facility maintenance rather than cultural insensitivity.
“I realize that [the murals] represented those things for them, but we’re in a business solving hunger,” Lee told San José Spotlight. “That’s the entrance to our dining hall, and that doesn’t represent what we’re all about.” Lee added that Martha’s Kitchen issued a letter dated October 27, 2025, explicitly outlining plans to repaint the exterior, including the mural spaces.
Community Roots and Legal Tensions
The destroyed artwork carried immense local value. One mural was designed by artist Carlos Rodriguez, while the second was a collaborative project between artist Jimmy Fonseca and local children aged 6 to 12 participating in an after-school program for Native American and Latino students, according to ConXión. Rodriguez held a written agreement from 2020 entitling him to $6,500 if his mural was ever removed—a financial obligation ConXión argues falls to the new property owner.
Lee countered that Martha’s Kitchen never received the mural agreement during the property transfer, seeing the document only after notifying ConXión of their painting schedule. Rodriguez and his wife reportedly reached out to Martha’s Kitchen beforehand, offering alternatives such as financial compensation, a new mural project, or integrating segments of the original art into a fresh design, but received no response before the walls were covered.
Leadership Responses and Next Steps
Local leaders have stepped into the fray as community frustration mounts. San José City Councilman Bien Doan voiced clear disappointment over the loss of the artworks, emphasizing the need to respect neighborhood histories. “I was very disappointed to see the murals were covered up. I know Martha’s Kitchen wants to be a good neighbor, but that means respecting and embracing our cultural values and histories, especially with respect to our children,” Doan wrote in a statement published by NBC Bay Area.
Looking ahead, Martha’s Kitchen intends to commission a new mural by local high school students. Lee noted that the upcoming artwork will depict food cultivation, preparation, and consumption to mirror the organization’s mission of rescuing surplus food and feeding the hungry. Whether a new piece of art can mend the rift in East San José remains to be seen as both organizations continue navigating their shared workspace.
