At a Glance
- The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors proclaimed Jan. 24 as Robert Vargas Day
- Vargas is the muralist behind the Shohei Ohtani mural in Little Tokyo and the Fernando Valenzuela trilogy in Boyle Heights
- This is the second day named after him; the city of Los Angeles issued the first
- Why it matters: The twin honors cement the artist’s role in chronicling L.A. sports and immigrant life on public walls
Los Angeles County joined the city of Los Angeles in honoring homegrown muralist Robert Vargas on Tuesday, giving him a second official day in his name.
A Second Day, A Lasting Legacy
Supervisors voted to designate Jan. 24 as Robert Vargas Day, recognizing the painter whose colossal portraits of Dodgers past and present have become civic landmarks.
“Incredible achievement, I feel, but there’s still so much more work to do,” Vargas told News Of Losangeles after the ceremony.
The county’s proclamation follows an earlier one from the city, making Vargas one of the few living artists to hold two separate days of recognition in the region.
Murals That Shaped the Cityscape
Vargas’ rise began with spray cans on alley walls and evolved into multi-story brushwork visible from freeways and sidewalks alike.
- Shohei Ohtani towers over Little Tokyo, a 17-story tribute to the Japanese superstar that greets commuters on the 101
- Fernando Valenzuela gazes across Boyle Heights in a three-part series honoring the legendary left-hander who helped define 1980s L.A.
Both pieces fuse sports hero worship with neighborhood pride, turning blank building faces into open-air galleries.
Bridging Cultures Through Art
Vargas deliberately places his subjects in dialogue across the urban grid.
“The messaging here is always one of unity, one of representation, intention, and really bridging cultures, just like the Shohei Ohtani mural, opposite the Fernando Valenzuela mural,” he explained.
The artist’s portfolio extends beyond baseball diamonds. He has memorialized street vendors, immigrant families and local icons, aiming to reflect the city’s layered identity back to itself.
Going Global
Demand for Vargas’ work now reaches far beyond Southern California. He recently completed a fresh Ohtani mural-this time in Japan-cementing a trans-Pacific cultural loop that began with the Little Tokyo piece.
The overseas commission signals that the imagery he created in L.A. resonates on an international stage, reinforcing the city’s role as an exporter of popular culture.
A Special Time to Create
Despite the accolades, Vargas keeps a relentless schedule, sketching concepts at dawn and scaling scaffolds by noon.
“It’s a special time to be a creative here in Los Angeles,” he said, noting that public art enjoys broad support from both officials and residents.
With two official days now on the calendar, the artist says the recognition only sharpens his focus on the next wall and the story it could tell.
Key Takeaways
- Los Angeles County declared Jan. 24 Robert Vargas Day, adding to the city’s earlier proclamation
- Vargas’ murals of Ohtani and Valenzuela have become neighborhood landmarks
- His work celebrates both sports heroes and immigrant communities, emphasizing unity across cultures
- International commissions show the global reach of his L.A.-born style
