Dan Fontes Needs Help Restoring His Famous Zebra Murals

If you aren’t familiar with celebrated East Bay artist Dan Fontes, you are likely familiar with his larger-than-life animal murals that have grazed public walls around the East Bay for several decades. Among his most most popularly adored are the zebras and that live beneath a 580 freeway underpass on Broadway and 34th Street. But the animals have suffered some serious wear and tear in their 31-year lifetime. According to Fontes, they need complete recoating. So, he’s crowdfunding the cost of restoration.

[jump] A GoFundMe page launched earlier this week aims to raise $25,000 for oil paint supplies, assistants stipends, photography, printing a final poster, and a small salary for Fontes.  

When contacted, Fontes was in the midst of his eighth consecutive day of affectionately reviving his mural. He extended his gratitude to those who have contributed to his project already — nearly $5,000 has been raised so far — and is hopeful that he will be able to complete the restoration by the end of the summer.

“This project means everything to me,” Fontes’ campaign statement reads. “My murals are my children.”

Contributor comments echo the importance of the project with statements like: “These murals by Dan Fontes are an important part of our Bay Area arts culture and history. Please donate to support a local artist hero that is striving to keep that history and culture alive for us and for future generations.”