Column: Artist, 4, featured in re-opened Union Bank in La Mesa

“All we need is love.” Those were the words Aviana Dobesh, age 4, painted on her brightly colored artwork that was posted on the fence encircling the charred remains of the Union Bank branch in downtown La Mesa.

After the bank reopened in a relocatable structure on Jan. 25, her painting was selected by bank officials to hang on its lobby wall. That was eight months after the building had been torched May 30 by social justice protesters in the wake of the George Floyd killing.

It was one of several shops and small businesses vandalized and looted that night. The adjacent Chase Bank and an office building also were burned.

The destruction was a rallying cry for community support as La Mesa residents and others came together the next day to paint out graffiti, sweep up broken glass and try to patch the broken pieces of what had been a thriving downtown La Mesa shopping district.

Nadia Zamora, owner of La Mesa’s Pink Rose Café, put out a plea for local children to beautify the riot-torn area, including the fence surrounding the twisted metal skeleton of the bank at 4771 Spring St.

“Let’s bring some hope, love, unity into the community!” she told a Union-Tribune reporter.

At her urging, colorful paintings, drawings and positive messages blossomed like spring flowers on the bank’s newly installed security fencing. One of those was from Aviana.

“I saw a post on Facebook, an invitation to anyone to come on down and work on some art to decorate the broken La Mesa downtown area,” Aviana’s mom, Andrea Soffa, told bank officials. “So I thought it was very important to get the kids involved in that.”

Union Bank branch manager Carlton Hill was in the crowd that fateful evening. He learned of the planned protest on social media. “I didn’t think it would impact the bank,” Hill said, but closer to nightfall “the crowd was getting more aggressive and moving closer and closer to the bank. So I came down. That’s when I discovered the two banks were being attacked.”

He notified bank executives but was helpless to stop the destruction. Afterward there was nothing left in his office he could salvage — the photos, mementos and awards from his 20-year banking career were lost.

After the fire, Hill was reassigned to manage the Lemon Grove bank branch, and his employees were shifted to different Union Bank branches. “We are a La Mesa family, so we kept in communication,” he said, explaining that they regularly texted “good morning” to each other.

Most now have been reunited at the new temporary office.

Sierra Wilson, Union Bank’s corporate communications director, estimates the permanent replacement building will open in about a year.

The vibrant artwork and messages on the perimeter construction fence faded and tore over time, so bank officials photographed them and replaced them with a weatherproof vinyl wrap that was reattached to the fence, along with a community thank-you note from the bank.

Aviana’s drawing of hearts, handprints and heartfelt message was picked to feature indoors as symbolic of the community spirit. It also will be incorporated in the bank’s marketing materials.

Her mother told Hill: “Avi started painting hearts and her handprints, and I asked her if it would be OK if we put some words on. And she said: Yes, about love.”

Late last month, Aviana, her parents and her 6-year-old brother, Talon, were invited to privately tour the new structure and view her artwork. Hill presented the young artist with a super star certificate and an art kit.

“I love painting so much,” responded Avi in a video of the visit.

Colorful T-shirts worn by her, her mother and brother, re-enforced her…