Whose City? Public Art, Power, and Representation in Urban Landscape Blog 2

  Civic Engagement Ontario Kee Soto Phase 1: The Site Ontario was founded in 1882 by the Chaffey Brothers, who named the land after their childhood town in Canada. In 1889, Ontario had a boom in citrus sales, thanks to Armstrong Garden Centers, formerly known as John S. Armstrong. The city was incorporated in 1891, with a population of 550. Today, the city has a population of about 185,000 residents, with a booming economy based on the agricultural industry. I chose Ontario due to having a personal and familial connection to the city. Ontario has a rough history of gang violence, yet on Holt and Euclid, the city is beginning to re-identify itself as a place of community. Today, many incorporators, such as the Downtown Ontario Improvement Association (DOIA) and Holt x Palm, are keeping Ontario clean, safe, and family-friendly. As I explored the city for the fieldwork portion, I learned that the city was hosting a project called Muralfest on October 16-17th. This was a block party fe...

Civic Engagement Project East Los Angeles Fabiola Mejia Art 3170-01  Professor Aziz PHASE 1: THE SITE I chose the City of East Los Angeles, California, for this project because I have lived here since I was 8 and have the most memories here. Although I technically live in Monterey Park, it's on the border between MP and East LA. I also feel East LA has a lot of rich history and valuable art worth exploring. I wanted to explore my neighborhood because it has a strong connection to Mexican American culture and Chicano history. Public art throughout East LA tells stories about its residents and important historical events. I am especially interested in how artworks let this community express itself and preserve its history.  PHASE 2: FIELDWORK East Los Culture Mural by Jawsh, Vals and Tokes - 2025 Location: 4600 Whittier Blvd, East Los Angeles, CA 90022 (New Pueblo Liquor) Artist: Jawsh, Vals, and Tokes Theme: Chicano culture, local history, and community icons Who is represented...

  P1: Why Arts District? Compared to my neighborhood, Arts District is full of public art. I always pass through here on my way to Cal State LA. Unlike other areas, Arts District always manages to capture my attention with its vibrant colors, themes, and different art styles.   P2: THE ART   "Flower Fields" by Drew Visuals  Location: at a warehouse located at Santa Fe Ave Theme: representation of life, showing the uniques that each person has Materials: paint Sponsors: was a personal inviation Inscriptions:  Community reaction: is a "Must-see". "L.A. Guerrera de los Muralistas" by Isabel Rojas-Williams Location:  under the 4th street bridge Theme: merits  Isabel Rojas-Williams, a  mural advocate Materials:  spray paint and acrylic paint Sponsor: Consortium for Developing Leadership in Science Inscriptions: L.A. Guerrera ... De Los Muralistas Community reaction: overwhelming gratitude, "Incredible" I couldn't find the artist or ...

       Civic Engagement Project  Long Beach Michael Morales   Art-3170 Professor Aziz    Phase 1: The Site ( Long Beach, California)       I currently live in Long Beach and the neighborhood that I'm apart of has a ton of street art all over. Long Beach has it's own identity as a city and that identity is explored through this project as the different art pieces represents that unique expression. I see most of these pieces daily, apart of my weekly commute to and from school and work.  The beauty of the city is that it's home for so many different types of people, due to that background the city itself can be many different things at once.  The City recently approved a new marketing campaign dubbing the city as "Vibe City". This approval came at the same time that the city had announced that their was a 1.5 million dollar short fall in the budget. Funding to Library services, closing of a firehouse and eliminatin...