COMMERCE, CALIFORNIA; Public Street Art Project by Jesus Marchan

Public Art in Commerce California

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

The Site

I chose Commerce because the street art I selected shows different ways a city can present itself. The Triggs Street murals place art on transportation infrastructure. The Commerce Shopping Center murals combine neighborhood scenes with cultural and recreational imagery. At Citadel Outlets, historic architecture and advertising share the same space. Comparing these locations allows me to ask whose stories become visible and who has the power to shape the city’s image.

What interests me most is the relationship between community pride and commercial identity. The street artwork suggests that Commerce can be represented through local people and achievements, but also through shopping and recognizable landmarks. My project examines how these messages appear in places that people pass during everyday activities.

Field Work

Part One Triggs Street

Image 1. The gateway spans the underpass entrance. Gray painted highways and converging lines lead toward a central torch-bearing figure.

Location: Triggs Street under Interstate 710, Commerce, CA 90040.

Artwork and artist: “Pathways of Hope” gateway mural by Vivache Designs. Caltrans describes the gateway as a painted illusion of carved stone, referencing transportation and local Olympic history. 

Theme: I interpret the gateway as a statement of civic pride that makes infrastructure part of the city’s public identity.

Field Work

Part One Underpass Details

Image 2. Several figures, including people in uniforms, appear above a neighborhood scene. Cones and a lift are visible in the photograph.

Image 3. An outlined train and dark tree silhouettes sit against diagonal bands of color. Some areas appear unfinished in this image.

Image 4. Two winged, human-headed figures frame a painted opening onto a green landscape. The stepped border creates an illusion of depth.

Who is represented: The selected panels show people in different roles alongside housing, transportation, and architectural symbols. I read these details as an effort to connect residents with the physical structures around them. The winged figures also create a visual connection with the Assyrian inspired imagery at Citadel Outlets. 

Field Work

Part Two Commerce Shopping Center

Image 5. “Welcome to the Model City” appears in red script over a mostly gray street scene. A Commerce monument, restaurant sign, palm tree, and bicycle riders give the image a local setting.

Image 6. A water polo athlete, musical notes, musicians in sombreros, and casino chips and playing cards share one mural panel.

Location: 5646 Whittier Blvd, Commerce, CA 90022 (Commerce Shopping Center)

Title: “Welcome to the Model City” is visible wording; an official title for the mural group has not been verified.

Artist and date: Not verified. The photographs do not establish the artist, date, or commissioning organization.

Theme: To me, these murals present Commerce through familiar places and shared interests. The street scene suggests neighborhood memory, while the second panel connects sports and Mexican musical imagery with entertainment and business.

Who is represented: Bicycle riders, an athlete, and musicians appear in the selected images. I have not identified the athlete by name. Their placement together suggests that cultural life and recreation belong within the city’s public image.

Field Work

Part Three Citadel Outlets

Image 7. The exterior wall and winged figures stand beside large retail advertisements. Passing cars show how these images address people moving along the street.

Image 8. Palm trees frame the Citadel entrance sign, which advertises outlets, offices, and a hotel. A nearby display promotes the shopping center’s social media account.

Location: Citadel Outlets, 100 Citadel Drive, Commerce, CA 90040

Type of visual work: Historic architecture, sculptural decoration, signage, and advertising. I include this site as a comparison with public murals because it strongly shapes what people see in the urban landscape.

Historical context: The complex incorporates the former Samson Tire and Rubber Company site. The original factory dates to 1929–1930; its surviving wall and facade use motifs drawn from reconstructions of an Assyrian palace. The site was later redeveloped for shopping.

Theme: My interpretation is that historic appearance gives the shopping center a recognizable identity, while advertisements direct attention toward current products and brands.

Field Work

Part Three Architecture and Representation

Image 9. The stepped facade, repeated geometric decoration, and central entrance give the building a monumental appearance.

Image 10. Large Assyrian-inspired figures decorate the wall on either side of a window. Their scale makes the building’s visual theme visible from a distance.

Design attribution: The original factory architecture is credited to Morgan, Walls and Clements. This does not identify the individual makers or dates of all sculptures, signs, and later decorative additions shown here. 

Who is represented: The architecture presents imagery associated with ancient Assyria. Unlike the shopping-center murals’ neighborhood subjects, these figures do not directly portray present-day Commerce residents. I interpret the advertising as addressing potential customers, which raises questions about the difference between representing a community and attracting an audience.

Critical Analysis

    All in all, the strongest connection across these representations is the way community identity and commercial identity overlap. At Triggs Street, art occupies a structure designed for movement. The gateway places an athlete among transportation imagery, while interior panels bring people and neighborhood forms into the underpass. I interpret this as a claim that the people using these routes deserve recognition within the infrastructure surrounding them.

    The shopping center murals create a more familiar portrait through streets, sports, and music. However, the casino imagery adds a business identity to that portrait. The words “Model City” also present a positive claim about Commerce. They make me ask who gets to choose that description and whether residents would identify other experiences or concerns that are absent from this Street Art.

    Citadel Outlets makes the relationship between visibility and commercial power especially clear. In this Street Art, large advertisements stand beside architectural decoration. Both compete for attention, but the advertisements have an immediate sales purpose. This privately managed commercial setting differs from a publicly funded underpass even though both contribute to the view from the street. Government agencies and property owners can influence what appears on their spaces; residents encounter the results without necessarily having equal influence over the choices.

Proposal

I would propose creating a bilingual public art guide connecting the tunnel murals near the park, the Commerce Shopping Center, and Citadel Outlets. The guide could explain the artwork’s history and recognize the artists behind it. Benches and small landscaped viewing areas, wherever space allows, would give people comfortable places to pause and appreciate the details. To build on the existing artwork, local artists and residents could also collaborate on a community mural celebrating Commerce’s workers, students, and families. Together, these improvements would highlight the city’s creativity while giving residents more opportunities to share their stories and enjoy its public spaces.