Sometimes we don’t notice what’s right in front of us. I know that I have driven many places, not really paying attention to anything besides the road trip. What I have missed out on is noticing some very beautiful, thought-provoking street art.
This past week Tom and I went on a quest to find a few street murals in Orange County. The word “mural,” by the way, comes from Latin, meaning “wall.” On our excursions, we found “wall art,” promoting social justice, spirituality, and sports.
After the death of Kobe Bryant and his travel companions in January, 2020, many murals of Kobe sprang up in the Southland. There was one I especially wanted to see and it is in Santa Ana. Here is the entire mural.
“Rest at the end, not in the middle” is attributed to Kobe. I often borrowed this saying when speaking to some of my college students after their failure to turn in assignments mid-semester. My students would listen although they didn’t always change their habits.
Not far from the Kobe mural on Garry Street is another large mural in Santa Ana, reminding us to seek unity through peace. It also promotes justice and intellectual curiosity. It absolutely took my breath away.
Its entirety is nearly impossible to capture, but my intrepid photographer did his best. He actually climbed up into the trunk of my car to take this picture from a higher vantage point.
Here we see seven figures: Rosa Parks, Malala Yousafzai (the youngest Nobel Prize laureate), Albert Einstein, Frida Kahlo (painter), Martin Luther King, Jr., and César Chávez. In the close-ups, the detail is pretty amazing.
It should be noted that many of the students at the Orange County Educational Arts Academy painted this mural under the direction of well-known muralist Brian Peterson, who has painted stunning portraits of homeless people in Orange County for quite some time. This mural was unveiled in November, 2020.
Near downtown Anaheim, we came across a couple of murals at City Church.
Back in Fullerton, there is one I have driven by many times on my way to Costco and not really noticed. It is called “Los Niños del Mundo,” featuring paintings of thirteen children from different parts of the world. It was created in 1994 and restored in 2019.
Then there is the whimsical mural below. Deelite Distribution, which carries “all the ice cream that ice cream trucks carry,” invites us to delight in some ice cream.
The photos above show only a handful of interesting murals not far from where Tom and I live. There are many, many more murals in our general vicinity. I would invite you to look around your own area and see what treasures you find. You might be surprised at how much meaningful, beautiful art surrounds you.
I never noticed. Thank you. I can’t wait to see them in person.
I just can’t believe how much I have been unaware of. Anaheim and Santa Ana have many murals. There is supposed to be one that says “Love” in large letters in downtown Anaheim, but we were never able to find it. Supposedly, people who are getting married at the City Clerk’s office pose in front of it either before or after the ceremony.
Very enjoyable piece Karleen
Hard to believe the size of this art work
I’ve noticed the small works popping up over the past few years, on the utility boxes along streets and at intersections. I am guessing these were commissioned works
Thanks,
Yes, the size of some of these murals is pretty astounding. Fullerton has some of those utility boxes that you mentioned and I am pretty sure they were commissioned.