In recent years, San Pedro has become a hotspot for public art, mainly in the form of large murals and utility box art.
You can’t miss them. Drive down any thoroughfare in town, and you’re bound to see at least one mural or other piece of curated public art. As you pass them by, maybe you’ve wondered who the artists are or what the work’s meaning or significance is to San Pedro.
This month, San Pedro Today teamed with the San Pedro Waterfront Arts District to provide a self-guided tour of a few select murals in and around Downtown San Pedro.
The stories behind the murals aim to educate so the public can develop a deeper appreciation for the talent and art featured across our port town.
This is the first in a series of self-guided public art tours we’ll be publishing throughout the year.
‘La Pincoya en El Norte’ by Revival Murals. (photo: John Mattera Photography)
La Pincoya en El Norte
LAMI, Berth 73, Building G (on the Harbor Blvd. side of West Harbor)
San Pedro’s newest mural, La Pincoya en El Norte by the Revival Murals team of Alonsa Guevara and James Razko, was completed in December 2023.
The San Pedro Waterfront Arts District received nearly 30 amazing mural idea submissions for this project. Alonsa and James’ submission was chosen by members of the Arts District Board, Los Angeles Maritime Institute, and West Harbor.
Alonsa Guevara, the Chilean half of Revival Murals, explains, “La Pincoya is a mythological character from the Pueblo Chilote (south of Chile). We think it is interesting to introduce her to this part of the Pacific Ocean. La Pincoya en El Norte (in the North), in my opinion, it’s a metaphor for migration and unification of two far away but similar maritime cultures.”
The mythology surrounding La Pincoya reflects the deep cultural and spiritual connection coastal communities in southern Chile have with the sea and its resources.
The 72’ x 15’ mural is the second community engagement mural completed in our Adventures in Public Art program. It included two community painting days with more than 60 locals to help paint the mural.
Contributions from the Port of Los Angeles Community Grant Program, a grant from the LA County Creative Recovery Program, and numerous private donations funded it.
The Arts District will add interactive augmented reality elements to this mural in 2024 to further engage audiences with local stories.
Soulful Sunrise. (photo: John Mattera Photography)
Soulful Sunrise
454 West 6th Street (in the Lilyan Fierman Walkway)
Officially unveiled on February 2, 2017, Soulful Sunrise by local artist Luis Sanchez is located on the east wall of 454 West 6th Street in the newly renovated Lilyan Fierman Walkway, next to the Warner Grand Theatre.
Soulful Sunrise. (photo: John Mattera Photography)
In 2016, the San Pedro Waterfront Arts District announced a mural award to Sanchez, who enlisted the help of fellow Pac Arts resident Regina Argentin. The mural award is part of the City of Los Angeles’ One Percent for the Arts Funding, negotiated by the Council 15 Office.
Luis notes, “When looking at the history of our historic theatre, its incredible design and history, I wanted to show a tale of past, present, music, dance, movement, celebration of the arts, as well as the diverse culture of San Pedro. I also used some of the applied design aspects from the interior of the Warner Grand.”
La Bocca Felice Mural. (photos: John Mattera Photography)
La Bocca Felice Mural
301 West 6th Street (alley side and back wall)
Painted in 2016 and funded by a matching grant from the San Pedro Business Improvement District, along with the property owner at the time, Greg Morena, these two murals were painted by Los Angeles–based street and contemporary artist Moncho 1929.
La Bocca Felice Mural. (photos: John Mattera Photography)
The alley mural is an homage to San Pedro’s blue-collar history as a working-class town, depicting dock workers from historical photos.
A portrait of Lucy Banning, Phineas Banning’s storied daughter, is on the back wall.
La Serna de Ojo – Sirens Community Mural
402 West 7th Street (parking lot side)
In the summer of 2017, the San Pedro Waterfront Arts District conducted a six-week mural workshop with community members, led by Teaching Artist Virginia Broersma. The workshop was designed to give the participants a common foundation in the elements of art, color theory, principles of design, analysis of art elements, and the creation of artworks reflecting complex ideas and expressive content.
La Serna de Ojo – Sirens Community Mural. (photo: John Mattera Photography)
On June 18, 2017, in what was Machine Studio on 6th Street in San Pedro, the Arts District — in collaboration with Community Art Machine and Sirens Java & Tea — launched a novel community mural project called Adventures in Public Art.
The Arts District was given the use of the wall on the new Sirens location. In week three, the class met with owner Yolanda Regalado to see the still-under-construction coffee shop, hear her story, and tour the 80’ x 16’ wall on the parking lot side of her property.
This highly collaborative method of creating public art was completed with the help of over 25 volunteers, along with the 12 core workshop students.
This mural was made possible by generous donations from Phillips 66 Refinery, the office of Supervisor Don Knabe, and the Community Redevelopment Agency. spt
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