Culver City's Murals

Besides being a premier culinary center, Culver City has also become one of L.A.'s newest art corridors. In particular, we've been noticing lots of murals suddenly popping up, especially along Washington Blvd. on the trendy east end of the city. Some are part of the facade of local businesses; others are public art. They are all interesting and worth a visit.

Here are some of our favorites, though this is by no means a complete list. We'll be adding more as we find more murals to admire, so be sure to come back later. (Click on images to enlarge.)

Irving Place, downtown Culver City: Lucy and Desi 

driving away from Desilu Studios (now Culver Studios,

located a block east). Painted by Francois Bardol in 2000,

this mural remains a favorite even though it is in desperate need

of retouching.

Southeast corner of Lindblade and Sepulveda:

Within walking distance of our house, this new (2014)

mural reminds me of a modern version of "The Lady of Shalott"

Palms Cycle Shop (3770 Motor Ave.): just outside Culver City,

but fabulous nonetheless 

Helms Bakery complex (Washington Blvd.):

"Helms Coach Gone a Rye" (2004), is a 3-D mural 

of an old Helms truck (foreground) 

zooming toward downtown Culver City.

Southeast corner of Higuera and Washington (parking lot)

(detail)

Southeast corner of Fay and Washington (parking lot)

Northwest corner of Fay and Washington (2014): 

panels 1 & 2 of 4

Panel 3

Panel 4

(same as above)

Alley directly east of Fay (above)

(same as above)

El Alteño Bar (8554 Washington Blvd): Front and

parking lot murals (below)

8520 Washington Blvd.

Industry Cafe & Jazz (6039 Washington Blvd): Tim with camera

(detail)

(more detail)

EK Valley Restaurant (6121 Washington Blvd.)

Northwest corner of La Cienega & Washington: Davis Bros Tires

 (detail)

(more detail)

(and more detail)

(and yet more!)

****************

We finally got around to taking snaps of the murals at the Helms Bakery complex:

All four murals (2004) in the Helms parking lot at Venice Blvd. & Helms

 

 

 

 

 

"Common Roots, Common Symbols" (2008), 

in parking lot across from Helms on Venice Blvd

Helms complex alley off of Venice Blvd.

 

 

L.A. Arts District Tour

Murals and graffiti in L.A.'s Arts District

The L.A. Arts District is located directly east of downtown and west of the Los Angeles River, along 3rd and 4th Streets. Agricultural land when the city was first developed in the mid-19th century, before becoming industrial throughout most of the 20th century, this area is now home to budding artists and architects. It's a part of town we know nothing about, so we were thrilled to take today's L.A. Conservancy Arts District tour and learn more. Here's what we saw:

Interior of the former Santa Fe railroad

freight house (1906) renovated

into the Southern California Institute

of Architecture (SCI-Arc) campus (2001)

Amazing modular conference table in the

SCI-Arc library

Conference table detail

The Pickle Works: one of the last surviving L.A. 

Victorian-era warehouses (1888) that eventually 

became home to several artists in the 1970s

Sign used to designate an artist's barely legal residence: 

red = fire hazard; blue = unsafe conditions; 

yellow = unstable masonry; A = artist-in-residence

Looking down on the Pickle Works 

from the 1st St. bridge

Graffiti and stairs up to the 1st St. bridge

Old street lamp

Old and new: looking west towards 

downtown L.A.

The American Hotel (1905), originally built 

as housing for African Americans, many of

whom worked as Pullman car porters on

nearby trains

American Hotel detail: ground-floor used to be the site

of Al's Bar, home to one of L.A.'s most famous punk

rock and grunge scenes

Batchelder tile detail of John A. Roebling's Sons 

warehouse  (1913),where wire cables were made for the 

Brooklyn Bridge

Roebling warehouse is now the site of Angel City

Brewery

We also saw lots and lots of phenomenal murals: