Resident says Maidu Community Center mural was painted over; city told photo was retained

During public comment at the Jan. 15 Roseville City Council meeting, resident Kirk Penelope Beingsesner told the council he discovered that a mural in the senior lounge at the Maidu Community Center had been painted over when he returned after the holiday break on Jan. 6. He said the mural — painted around 2010 by a local artist and depicting Maidu elders teaching children — had been entirely painted in a very dark navy blue.

Beingsesner said he notified the Maidu Community Center supervisor and was told a professional photograph had been taken and is on display at the Maidu Indian Museum. He told the council that "a picture is not the same thing as a mural" and said many seniors who use the facility had expressed dismay.

No city staff response or explanation for the mural's removal is recorded in the meeting transcript. The commenter asked the council to note the incident; staff later acknowledged the comment and accepted a contact card for follow-up.