Bill Lee, executive director of Martha\u2019s Kitchen, said the organization had planned to repaint the building because the exterior paint was faded and peeling, and they wanted to waterproof the building to prevent leaks. He said it had nothing to do with racial or cultural issues.<\/p>\n
\u201cI realize that (the murals) represented those things for them, but we\u2019re in a business solving hunger,\u201d Lee told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cThat\u2019s the entrance to our dining hall, and that doesn\u2019t represent what we\u2019re all about.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lee said Martha\u2019s Kitchen plans to have a new mural created by students at a local high school. The planned mural will depict food being grown, prepared and consumed, reflecting the work of Martha\u2019s Kitchen, he said.<\/p>\n
But Ramos Chavez said her organization had asked Martha\u2019s Kitchen during the sale to preserve the murals because of their importance to the community. She said Martha\u2019s Kitchen\u2019s leadership agreed during multiple walkthroughs of the building.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe considered (putting it in writing), but it was a gentleman\u2019s agreement,\u201d Ramos Chavez told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cWe said, \u2018We really like these. They\u2019re part of the community. They\u2019ve been here for a while,\u2019 and (Bill Lee) said, \u2018Oh yeah, I agree. If they\u2019ve been here for a while, they should stay.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3B3968DA-6ACF-4C48-B9F9-4E59CB8E42CE-1024x753.jpg\")
The exterior of Martha\u2019s Kitchen after the murals were painted over. Photo courtesy of ConXi\u00f2n to Community.<\/p>\n
ConXi\u00f3n sold the 32,000-square-foot building to Martha\u2019s Kitchen, but continues to operate there after leasing back about 10,000 square feet for 10 years, Ramos Chavez said. The organizations continue to work together on some community programs despite the mural dispute.<\/p>\n
The murals were created by artists Carlos Rodriguez and Jimmy Fonseca. Rodriguez created one mural, while Fonseca worked with children ages 6 to 12 on the other as a community project, according to Ramos Chavez.<\/p>\n
The other glitch in the sale pertains to ConXi\u00f3n and Rodriguez. They had an written agreement in 2020 that Rodriguez would receive $6,500 if the mural was ever removed. Ramos Chavez said that since Martha\u2019s Kitchen purchased the building it is responsible for compensating Rodriguez.<\/p>\n
Lee disputes ConXi\u00f3n\u2019s interpretation of the agreement. He said Martha\u2019s Kitchen did not receive the mural agreement during the sale and was only handed the agreement after the organization told ConXi\u00f3n it intended to repaint the building.<\/p>\n
Rodriguez said he and his wife contacted Martha\u2019s Kitchen before the mural was painted over and offered several alternatives, including compensation for removing the mural, having Rodriguez create a new mural or incorporating portions of the existing work into a new design.<\/p>\n
Rodriguez said they also provided information about the legal protections they believed applied to the artwork, but he said he did not receive a response from Martha\u2019s Kitchen before the mural was painted over.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was funny, cause maybe a week before it (was painted over), I looked at the mural,\u201d Rodriguez told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cWe passed by there, and I looked at my wife, and I was like, \u2018You know what? I\u2019m hella glad that they didn\u2019t go over the wall and they just decided to leave it.’\u201d<\/p>\n
Rodriguez also went a step further and sent a Nov. 7, 2025 letter to the city asking whether the mural could receive historical recognition. An employee in the city\u2019s Office of Cultural Affairs responded on Nov. 19 and said because the mural was on private property, the city\u2019s Public Art Program did not have jurisdiction and there was no process to register artwork on private property through the program.<\/p>\n
The cultural affairs employee said the office had consulted the Planning Department about other forms of protection and pointed Rodriguez to San Jose\u2019s Historic Resources Inventory, which includes a small number of murals. But the city noted that inclusion in the inventory \u201cdoes not provide protection from demolition on private property.\u201d<\/p>\n
The dispute has generated a broader conversation about what happens to community artwork when it is located on privately owned property.<\/p>\n Ramos Chavez said the community\u2019s concern is also about whether culturally significant artwork should be preserved when ownership changes. She said native-created artwork can carry significance tied to history, identity, culture and connection to place.<\/p>\n La Raza Roundtable has also gotten involved in the dispute. In an Aug. 13 letter sent to San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and the City Council, the group called the murals \u201ccultural landmarks\u201d that honored the history, identity and experiences of Indigenous and Chicano communities in San Jose. A sage plant on the property used by members of the local Indigenous community was also removed, according to La Raza Roundtable and Ramos Chavez.<\/p>\n \u201cErasing them without community consultation was a callous and insensitive action that sends a painful message that their stories are disposable and unworthy of preservation,\u201d La Raza Roundtable Co-Chairs Craig Pasqua, Rose Amador and Raul Colunga wrote.<\/p>\n Despite the dispute, Ramos Chavez said ConXi\u00f3n and Martha\u2019s Kitchen have continued collaborating to provide food<\/a> for ConXi\u00f3n\u2019s National Night Out event earlier this month and sandwiches for ConXi\u00f3n\u2019s employment program.<\/p>\n![\"In-line](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/interactive-321838904008.png\")
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