A mural similar to this drawing will be painted on a downtown parking structure in the city of Downey. Work on the mural is expected to start in January and be completed by April.
Courtesy photo
By Arnold Adler
Contributing Writer
DOWNEY — The city will spend $93,422 for a parking structure mural which, officials hope, will encourage civic pride and educate people on the history of the community.
The City Council Nov. 18 contracted with a local organization, Stay Arts, for the project on the side wall of the downtown parking structure facing La Reina Street, according to Assistant City Manager Vaniah De Rojas.
The total estimated time frame for the art mural production is 10 weeks, and is anticipated to begin in January and end in April.
Under the agreement, Stay Arts will provide mural installation services. Rojas said that the mural is part of a plan approved by the City Council in November 2023, which includes painting, security cameras, lighting, maintenance services and security patrol services.
“In February 2024, staff introduced the concept of painting a mural on the city parking structure to attract visitors and create more synergy in the downtown area,” Rojas said.
The proposed mural would measure about 1,400 square feet and show themes that reflect the community. Mural themes, with input from the Downtown Downey Improvement Association, might include the city’s aerospace history, past, present and future legacy, civic pride, and the motto “Future Unlimited,” Rojas said.
She noted that 22 firms responded to the bid request. Stay Arts was selected based on its ties to Downey. It was the only firm which listed three multiple concepts with each concept being from an artist with direct ties to Downey.
Additionally, Stay Arts conducted a survey of community residents and stakeholders of diverse ages and backgrounds to help them develop the proposed mural concepts, Rojas added.
Input was requested from the City Council’s Downtown Subcommittee, comprised of Mayor Hector Sosa and Councilman Horacio Ortiz, who supported Concept 2.
Concept 2 celebrates Downey’s history and identity. The large postcard-style letters highlight iconic local landmarks, from aerospace and innovation to historic architecture and civic pride. More specifically, the letters in the postcard include the Kaufmann Building at Vultee Aircraft Rotunda, the Rives Mansion, the Downey flag, an Apollo Spacecraft atop a Saturn Rocket and the Downey Grammar School arch.
“This mural serves as a reminder of the inter-connectedness of Downey’s neighborhoods and residents,” Rojas said. “The orange tree hanging off the word Downey is a nod to the city’s rich agricultural history and a symbol of growth, health and vitality.
Additionally, the bottom left corner of the mural includes an illustration of the Space Shuttle Columbia, further highlighting the city’s aerospace history and a nod to the city’s Columbia Memorial Space Center, Rojas added. The selected drawing is by Tony Reyes, who is a mural artist from Downey and the co- founder of Mastermind Murals. In the past he has worked on projects for San Diego State University, Fox, the city of Huntington Beach, the Los Angeles Police Department and Universal Studios, she added.
The mural cost will come from the city’s Arts in Public Places Fund that provides original artworks that are easily accessible to the general public throughout the city. A 1% Public Art Fee is applied to construction and reconstruction projects in the city with the money used for future art projects in the city.
