A new mural, entitled ‘ Nourishing the Community’ was unveiled Aug 27 at the Vine Street headquarters of Project Angel Food. The mural was painted by Los Angeles native Robert Vargas.
Courtesy photo
Wave Staff Report
HOLLYWOOD — Project Angel Food has unveiled a three-story mural on the south facade of its headquarters at 922 Vine St.
Entitled “Nourishing the Community,” the mural is by renowned Mexican American artist Robert Vargas.
On hand for the unveiling were Vargas, Project Angel Food CEO Richard Ayoub; county Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, who presented a county proclamation; and Academy Award–nominated actor and activist Edward James Olmos, who joined Vargas on several painting days.
Ivette Aragon, district director for U.S. Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Los Angeles, read a certificate from the congressman.
Reflecting Vargas’ practice of “painting from the streets,” the mural depicts a matriarchal guardian angel whose hands were modeled after a woman selling tamales near the site.
“I want the community to see themselves in the mural,” Vargas said.
Surrounding imagery honors Project Angel Food’s staff, volunteers and the 7,157 clients served with medically tailored meals. The mural anchors the nonprofit’s 30,000-square-foot Chuck Lorre Family Foundation Campus expansion — now under construction — and embodies hope, unity, compassion, and resilience, a spokesperson said.
“‘Nourishing the Community’ grew from the people themselves,” Vargas said. “The hands in the kitchen, those Project Angel Food serves and the community I’ve met while painting.
“It is a dialogue between Project Angel Food and our city,” Vargas added. “That is why this mural is so rewarding: at a time of instability, it represents permanence; it embodies representation, unity, and love; and it honors Project Angel Food’s mission.”
“This artwork declares that all are safe, seen and embraced by the love of community,” Horvath said, recognizing Vargas’s work for symbolizing unity and cultural pride and honoring Project Angel Food’s mission to deliver medically tailored meals to people facing serious illness.
“We are expanding our facility into a two-building, 30,000 square foot beacon of hope and healing in Los Angeles — Project Angel Food’s the Chuck Lorre Family Foundation,” Ayoub said. “Now, thanks to Robert, anyone who visits will see instantly what happens inside these walls — a diverse community of staff and volunteers dedicated to uplifting the lives of our seriously ill neighbors by preparing and delivering medically tailored meals with love, dignity and compassion.”
“Robert brings a deep humanity to everything he does, anywhere in the world,” James-Olmos said. “This is a masterpiece. Project Angel Food does such important work for the community. I’ve been involved since the beginning, and people are going to flock to see this mural. They deserve this.”
Vargas is a contemporary artist whose murals and mixed-media portraits helped catalyze downtown L.A.’s arts revival. A Los Angeles native, he was honored by the City Council, which declared “Robert Vargas Day” in 2021.
Signature works include Our Lady of DTLA, the Ohtani mural, and L.A. Rising in Little Tokyo. He is currently creating Angelus at Pershing Square, a work in progress poised to set a Guinness World Record for the largest mural by a single artist.
Project Angel Food was founded in 1989. It prepares and delivers medically tailored meals to individuals facing serious illness across Los Angeles County with compassion and dignity. The nonprofit serves more than 7,100 clients with more than 1.5 million meals annually. Over its 36 years, Project Angel Food has delivered 20 million meals to its clients.
