The Art Box Tour
Creating more art in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles. One utility box at a time.
A group of artists in Boyle Heights are showing a canvas can be just about anything — including city utility boxes.
These corner public art pieces are part of the Eastside Access Project, a 12-million dollar plan by councilmember Jose Huizar to beautify and make 1st street in Boyle Heights more accessible to pedestrians and bicyclists.
1st and Bailey Street by Fabian Debora
“If you look around, you see many abuelitas and for some reason, they tend to remind us of our own,” says Fabian Debora. The grandmother figure is not only about the importance of family for Debora, but it’s also a reminder of what elders can tell us about the community Angelenos live in. “It’s capturing the wisdom, the wise, the age.” The artist also draws on local history by depicting the old Boyle Heights Hotel a block away as well as the 1st street bridge street lamp landmarks.
1st Street and Boyle Avenue by Raul Gonzalez
One of the few artists who opted to use sepias for their ability to withstand fading, Raul Gonzalez kept it all in the family. Coming from a family of musicians, he depicted his mother, cousins and uncles, many of whom came to the area in the ‘60s playing in a mariachi.
The piece compliments the mariachi theme in the area, including the mural by Robert Vargas on Eastside Luv. “Recently, we’ve been seeing the improvements and I wanted to include them,” Gonzalez said of these musicians. “I wanted to give them that honor. They came here to work. They came here to bring music. This represents keeping that tradition and culture alive.”
Under the Boyle Heights Bridge by Robert Cortes
You will not find Robert Cortes’ mural art box in an official tour. The Boyle Heights artist was not invited to participate officially in the project but was inspired to add his work. “I didn’t want to just paint an image from Google. I didn’t want to paint something random on it,” he said.
The artist painted a portrait of his three-year-old nephew. Cortes hopes the unofficial art box becomes a source of inspiration for his nephew as he gets older. “Hopefully it runs long enough where he’s old enough to understand the energy I put into it and to motivate him and the youth around here.”
“Pollinate the Galaxy with Knowledge” by Blosm on 1703 1st Street.
With large honeycomb imagery, bees play a large theme in this art box. Bees and sustainability has been a concern for artists Blosm and Petal since the ‘90s. The use of Mayan imagery wrapped at the bottom of the box compliments the bees because of their reverence for nature, according toMilca Adamczyk with the Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles.
1st Street and State Street by Nuke
Artist Nuke pays tribute to musicians on the utility box on 1st Street and State Street, including Johnny Otis, who is known as the Godfather of Rhythm and Blues. Otis died in Los Angeles in 2012.
1st Street and Soto by Carlos Callejo
Carlos Callejo is no stranger to the utility box. He painted about 35 boxes around the Silver Lake and Echo Park area, according to the artist. Callejo received some pushback by local businesses when he wanted to depict Zoot Suiters in his art. “Nobody ever wanted to put them up because they thought it was going to promote gang stuff,” he said.
The location of Boyle Heights seemed to be the most appropriate as the location of the Zoot Suit Riots of 1943.
1st Street and Cummings Street by Lili Ramirez
Lili Ramirez used herself as the model for some of the figures in her piece. Ramirez, a bicyclist herself, celebrates the biking community in East Los Angeles on one side of the utility box. Her sister and niece can be seen reading a book on another side. “Our first teachers are our parents,” Ramirez said. “[Youth] can connect that knowledge with books and parents.”
1st Street and Chicago Street by Ricardo Estrada
The intricate detail of his subjects portraits have been Estrada’s strength, again displayed on 1st street and Chicago. You do not see a lot of Ricardo Estrada’s work, says Isabel Rojas-Williams, Executive Director for the Mural Conservation of Los Angeles, but he’s made an impact with the work he’s shared.
1st Street and State Street by Vyal One
Vyal Reyes, known as Vyal One, has developed a style all his own. The spray painted eye can be seen throughout Los Angeles (and Gaza, too!)
1st Street and Breed Street by Sonji Figueroa
Wanting to inspire the many children who pass through the area, Sonji Figueroa created a bright color sequence. A gardener herself, she depicts different plants and flowers to juxtapose with Breed Street’s surrounding.
