A virtual exhibition on Barbara Carrasco’s landmark mural “L.A. History: A Mexican Perspective” is presented by the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. It will open permanently at the museum in 2023. (photo courtesy of Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County)

The Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County has launched a virtual interactive exhibition about Barbara Carrasco’s landmark mural “L.A. History: A Mexican Perspective.”

The digital exhibition is available in English and Spanish and offers a sneak peek at the expansive mural, which will be installed in the new Judith Perlstein Welcome Center in NHM Commons, slated to open in 2023.

“L.A. History: A Mexican Perspective” portrays Los Angeles’ history through a series of vignettes woven into the flowing hair of la Reina de Los Ángeles (the queen of Los Angeles). The mural was censored by the former Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency, which originally commissioned Carrasco to create the mural for the city’s 1981 bicentennial. The CRA halted the project when the artist refused to remove 14 vignettes that the agency deemed too controversial.

NHMLAC announced the acquisition of the mural from the artist in 2020, with the support of a grant from the Vera R. Campbell Foundation. The mounting and presentation of the mural is supported by Nancy and John Edwards.

To view the exhibit, visit nhm.org/mural-remembers-los-angeles.