Whose City? Public Art, Power, and Representation in the Urban Landscape

Public Artwork in South Los Angeles by Nayeli Sanchez   I found some public art in South Los Angeles which is the area that I was born and raised in I, it was a bit difficult to find some public art in my area. South Los Angeles is filled with many different murals that reflect the culture, struggles, and identity of the community. The three artworks I documented show how public art can represent history, religion, and social change while also raising questions about representation and visibility. Location 1: Location:    At the wall of Wells Fargo at the Historic South Central This mural appears on a public-facing wall along a busy street in South Los Angeles, likely in a commercial or high-traffic area where it can be seen by both the residents and visitors. Estimated Year: Date unknown There is no visible date in this mural, but based on its clean condition and contemporary style, it was likely created within the last 5–10 years. Medium: Spray paint and exter...

Downtown Los Angeles Public Art- Chia-Ni Yeh March 26, 2026 Public Art in Downtown Los Angeles By: Chia-Ni Yeh The reason why Downtown Los Angeles is chosen as the area to research is that it is the center, filled with street art. Particularly, street art can be easily found across the neighborhood without any formal research. Therefore, I decided to select the Public Art found in Downtown Los Angeles to illustrate how art could be commonly incorporated into everyone’s life.  Location #1:  Name : Victor Clothing Co. Art Murals Artist : Eloy Torrez Located : Wall of the Victor Clothing Co. Date Created : 1984 Reason for Artwork : The artwork is a large five-story mural of Anthony Quinn dancing. The art is inspired by the "The Pope of Broadway" movie.  Financed by the Ralph M. Parsons’ foundation grant, the art is painted by  Eloy Torrez. He is an accomplished studio artist whose numerous works can be seen throughout California, Mexico, Spain, and France. I like this a...

Hacienda Heights Public Art- Adrian Siu March 28, 2026 Hacienda Heights Public Art - Adrian Siu I chose to focus on Hacienda Heights artwork because that is the artwork of the place closest to me. I was raised in Hacienda Heights and thus have a close bond with it, but despite that, Hacienda Heights doesn't really have much public artwork. The community itself is a very quiet and uneventful place, most passing by on the 60 freeway without noticing it. Hacienda Heights itself is about 10 miles from El Monte, which is in turn, about 30 miles from CSULA. Most public art dates to before the 21st century, though much is from the post-20th century. The community itself is relatively quiet, with little crime or homelessness compared to the outer regions, but also not much going on.

  Pico Union Public Art - Diana Nightingale I chose to explore the artwork of Pico Union because I was born and raised in that neighborhood. Pico Union is located about 5-10 minutes west of Downtown LA and is known for being a diverse, densely populated neighborhood. However, people who live there also know that the neighborhood has struggled with gang activity. When I was growing up, almost every street wall was covered with gang-related graffiti. Even today, there is still a significant amount of this graffiti, but the community has been working together to create positive change. Some beautiful murals have been around for many years, and I have always been curious to learn more about them. Mural of Actor Steve McQueen Location: (1151 Union St) House on 12th and Union Artist: Kent Twitchell Created: 1971 Theme: Paintings of famous figures or influential people. Representation: Twitchell focuses on realistic human faces, making murals feel life-like and relatable. Materials: ...