City Unveils Two Pairs of Murals at the 91 Fwy Underpass

Bellflower Invests in Public Art

The City of Bellflower is proud to unveil four new murals located under the 91-Fwy at Lakewood Boulevard which were recently completed by local artist Dave Van Patten. Each mural is approximately 16’ tall by 24’ wide and was commissioned by the city for both pedestrians along Lakewood Boulevard and commuters to enjoy.

Murals depicting nature’s four elements of earth, air, fire and water are concepts often found throughout art history and in mural designs nationwide. Van Patten’s unique design using two elements, water and air, and a timeline of children transforming into adulthood through childhood interests was approved by both the City Council and CalTrans Art Department. Two children who are fishing that grow up to both be deep sea divers is featured on the eastside, and two children playing with Astro dolls who later become astronauts is displayed on the westside.

“These illustrations speak to adults as a reminder of their childhood dreams and hopefully serve as encouragement to the area youth to always dream big,” shares artist Dave Van Patten. 

“Van Patten's imaginative design and his proven expertise in handling large-scale artwork made him an ideal artist for this project,” stated Mayor Dan Koops.

The City Council and Van Patten unveiled the artwork with a small outdoor ceremony.