Art Alley
The vibrant murals in Art Alley illustrate the rich culture and history of Santa Ana through a series of scenes painted by the Santa Ana Community Artist(a) Coalition. The Carousel Mural is a tribute to the carousel that once resided in the Fourth Street Plaza. The mural highlights the strong Chicano roots of the city by incorporating a jacaranda tree with blossoming flower-like quinceañera dresses.To the right of Carousel Mural, the mural Viva Santa Ana depicts two jarocho dancers dressed in traditional white attire on a burgundy background. Together, the murals in Art Alley represent the movement among Chicano artists to resist the gentrification of downtown Santa Ana. Check out the video to learn more about the Santa Ana Community Artist(a) Coalition and their work in Art Alley.
Quetzalcoatl, Aztec God
Quetzalcoatl, the Aztec god of wind, air, and learning is depicted via the use of aerosol cans in the style of new school tattoo design. This style is often characterized by the use of heavy outlines, vivid colors, and exaggerated depictions of the subject. This piece was painted by local artists Kimberly Duran (@5hmi) and Bud Herrera (@thirds_realm), whose work is spread across Santa Ana.Check out the video to see a timelapse of Duran and Herrera creating Quetzalcoatl, Aztec God.
Sueños Revolucionarios (Revolutionary Dreams)
British pop artist Ben Eine painted the bold, stylized words Sueños Revolucionarios (Revolutionary Dreams) on a solid black backdrop with beige and purple triangle patterns. Eine was self-taught by painting illegal street art throughout London. His work out among European street artists, and over time he was able to shift into legal art by selling independent pieces and mural work for cities and commercial interests. Eine reproduced his signature western-styled typography in Sueños Revolucionarios. This iconic style is featured in the murals that Eine has painted across North and South America, Europe, and Asia.
Virgin de Guadalupe (Virgin of Guadalupe)
The Virgin de Guadalupe mosaic mural demonstrates the important connection between the Catholic Church and Chicano culture. The artist, Cheryl Eberly, was the 2017 Teen Librarian and Volunteer Coordinator at the Santa Ana Public Library. The mural can be found at the Fiesta Plaza Marketplace, also known as Santa Ana’s East End. This space is one that upholds Latino heritage alongside the gentrification of the city.
Dragons and Robots
Located on the side of the historic Yost Theater in Downtown Santa Ana, Robots and Dragons was painted by internationally renowned artists group CMK via the use of spray paint. The mural combines classic 1950s American science fiction and elements of traditional Japanese fantasy. This unique symbolism bridges the gap between cultural differences, uniting the Santa Ana community through art.Check out the video to watch CMK paint Robots and Dragons.
Something in the Sky
Something in the Sky was created by artists Jouvon Michael Kingsby (JOUVON) and Michael Ziobrowski (@xistheweapon). Kingsby painted his first mural in a bunker that had formerly been occupied by Saddam Hussein while he served in a fifteen-month military tour in Iraq. Kingsby relocated to Santa Ana, where he continued painting murals and other artwork. His portrait-styled artwork can be found across Southern California. Something in the Sky became part of the first wave of artists to paint within the East End neighborhood of Santa Ana. Because this building is included in Santa Ana's Register of Historic Properties, the artists were not allowed to paint directly onto the brick exterior of the building. Instead, the artists painted Something in the Sky on the stucco-covered section of the building's second story balcony. The mural features Jouvon's portrait of a woman's face over Ziobrowski's colorful abstract background. You can find more of Ziobrowski's artwork later in the tour.
Left of the Dial
Left of the Dial is painted on Santa Ana's iconic record store, Left of The Dial Records. The mural depicts musicians and their instruments in a bright, cartoon style. The mini-mural was painted by Kristy Moreno (@freakanoodle) and @BaloosGotBeats. The Left of the Dial Record store has been a culturally essential feature of Santa Ana, and although at one time it had fallen on hard times, the record store continued to remain open. The Santa Ana community rejoiced to hear that the Left of the Dial would remain open, demonstrating the relationship the community has with public and performance art.
Mission to Mars and the Red Planet
Painted by Moises Camacho, Mission to Mars and the Red Planet contains realistic paintings of the different NASA Mars projects. The short quotes on the mural explain how Urban Tech is looking to build up the community through promoting education, specifically in "STEAM” (science, technology, engineering, and math). The artist, Santa Ana local Moises Camacho, is the art director and co-founder of the Santa Ana Community Artist(a) Coalition, which works to promote and preserve art within Santa Ana. The coalition caters to the desires of the local Santa Ana people through public art. Being part of the Santa Ana community himself, Camacho was the perfect artist to paint the Mission to Mars the Red Planet mural.
Santa Ana
Located on the 2nd floor above the Wursthaus Gastropub in the Calle Cuatro Plaza, the words “Santa Ana” are stylized in old English font on a multi-color background. The mural welcomes visitors into Santa Ana and introduces them to city’s rich artistic culture. The corner plaza is a location frequented by the locals as a place for relaxation and gathering.
Nurture Your Family
Isaias Crow (@isaiascrow) is an international muralist, speaker, and author. He is inspired by the spirit realm and even describes himself as a spirit guide.Isaias describes himself as a channel for his spirit guide, who he calls "Crow." Using his birth name, “Isaias” and his spirit guide’s moniker “Crow” to represent their working relationship. (SOURCE)Crow hopes audiences will appreciate the patterns of color and shape he and muralist, Werc Alvarez (@w3rc), have incorporated in this space. Both Werc and Crow have very unique styles of art that are shown in the mural; however, their styles blend into an amazing masterpiece. The main distinction between their artwork is that Alvarez focuses on animals, while Crow's focus is on human facial features.
Shop Unlisted Murals
The murals along the exterior wall of Shop Unlisted indulge the viewer in the bizarre and the unusual. Each mini-mural depicts objects in classic and pop artist styles meant to invoke the unique gifts and curious finds within the store itself. These four mini-murals were each painted by a different artist, including Michael Ziobrowski (@xistheweapon), Free Humanity (@freehumanity), Yu Maeda (@_yu_maeda), and Steven Daily (@stevendailyart).Check out the video by Free Humanity of him working on his mini-mural.
I'm Going Your Way
Dino Perez (@dinoperez) is well known to Santa Ana. Perez has participated in local art showcases and has shared his vibrant paintings throughout the community. Perez incorporates Mexican folk art within his art in appreciation of the heritage of Santa Ana locals. Dino Perez has taken his relationship with the community to the next step by incorporating some of his artwork into color books."I’m not used to leaving an illustration undone but at the same time it’s nice. It’s a nice little collaboration with whoever buys the book." (A Conversation With Artist Dino Perez)
Life in the Golden City
Life in the Golden City highlights historic landmarks in Santa Ana. The four-panel mural is painted on a utility box, and each panel features a different conic building in a golden-silhouette style that the locals may recognize. Art and artists from the 1980s had a significant influence in the artwork Reyes creates. Many of the artists that influenced him believed in making art accessible and open. On top of the utility box, Reyes included a hidden message: "art is for everybody," a well-known quote by artist and activist Keith Haring.
La Madre Naturaleza (The Mother Nature)
PLAY VIDEOPainted by the Santa Ana Community Artist Coalition, the artists depict St. Anne blowing a kiss of life to the community of Santa Ana. The mural also depicts community gardens, nature, and flowers. The beauty shown was inspired by the streets of Santa Ana and its people. The mural was made with the thoughts of over two-hundred locals and visitors in mind. The mural was painted collectively by over thirty local artists which were led by Kimberly Duran, Elizabeth Cardenas, and Stacy Patino.Check out the video to see a timelapse video of the artists painting the mural.
La Adelita (The Revolutionary Woman)
PLAY VIDEOLa Adelita depicts Mexican Adelita in front of a Mexican flag and nopales. The mural is behind Hectors Mariscos Restaurant and was painted by Kimberly Duran and Bud Herrera. La Adelita is a culturally important symbol for the Mexican people that originated from Mexico's revolution inspired by a female soldier who joined the revolucionarios. The corrido (narrative song), inspired by the female soldier, popularized the cultural figure.Check out the video to listen to the corrido!
We Are Santa Ana
We Are Santa Ana features a unique artistic medium compared to the other artwork in this tour: instead of the traditional paint and brushes, it was created with photography and digital editing. The utility box was artistically designed by Federico Medina (@stoopdown), a Santa Ana native photographer who was trained in graphic design. It features photographs of various Latino and white citizens of Santa Ana. The artwork promotes a message of unity after a violent attack that took the life of 23-year-old Kim Pham. The attack took place on the corner of 4th and Broadway, the same corner where the utility box is located. However, Medina does not highlight the tragedy; instead, the artist used We Are Santa Ana to unite the broken community.
E-Koi Systemz
While other utility boxes in this tour focus on Santa Ana's city and community, in E-Koi Systemz artist Eddie De La Barca (@eddiedelabarca) utilized mood enhancing images. Eddie De La Barca takes us out of the city and hopes to bring a sense of peace, happiness and tranquility to those who come across his koi painting.As a child in El Salvador Eddie’s witnessed much violence. At the age of 9, he unavoidably witnessed a public execution as a military firing squad “executed” a group of protesting college students lined up against a wall. As a result of these tragic experiences, “peace,” is an overriding theme in Eddie’s art and life. (SOURCE)According to the artist, the koi also represents prosperity of Hawaiian and Japanese cultures, acknowledging the Asian culture in Santa Ana.
Artist Village
The Artist Village mural is a depiction of the Artist Village, which is situated in the Second Street Promenade in Downtown Santa Ana. Artists Village includes over forty galleries and design workshops and is home to the Grand Central Art Center. As part of California University Fullerton, the GCAC is "dedicated to the open exploration of contemporary art and visual culture: locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally through socially engaged collaborations among artists, students, and the community" (www.grandcentralartcenter.com). After the next stop on the walking tour, you will walk through the Artist Village.
Fourth Element Gallery Murals
All artists (Michael Ziobrowski, Alicita Rojas [@alicitarojas], Thrashbird [@thrashbird], Angel Once [@angelonce], and Jerry Rodriguez [@jerryrodriguez]) involved on the Fourth element Gallery Murals are inspired by emotions. They build off humor, nostalgia, and experience to create colorful displays for audiences to enjoy. This collaborative mural is the newest one featured on the walking tour, created early November of 2018. All the artist have rich backgrounds in their artistic careers. For example, Angel Once, who has Charlie the Pink Elephant as his brand image, uses art to beautify spaces in his hometown of Pomona, California, and across Southern California.Check out the video to watch artist Jerry Rodriguez paint his mural.
Border Wall
Border Wall was created by the Orange County Center for Contemporary Art. OCCCA was established in 1980 to showcase works of art from a variety of skilled artists. The “Border Wall” can be seen after a walk through the Artists’ Village and will give audiences a political and empathetic experience. For more information about the center, visit their website: http://www.occca.org/.
The Golden City
Michael Ziobrowski uses his interest in art and music to create works of art."I am most proud of the relationships my art is helping to create and build. I also feel that my dedication to not only my craft, but to being easy to work with and personable is something that people take notice of, and encourages them to continue to seek me out and work with me." -Michael Ziobrowski (SOURCE)Ziobrowski's goal for all of his pieces is to create an aesthetically pleasing space so audiences can experience them the same way he did when creating them. Check out the video of artist Michael Ziobrowski painting The Golden City.Thank you for taking this self-guided tour. We hope that you found your experience culturally fulfilling, whether you are a resident or visitor in Santa Ana. We wholeheartedly encourage further exploration of public art and recommend visiting MappingArtsProject.org to explore more art in Santa Ana and other locations nationwide.
