If you’ve spent any time in Westchester, you’re sure to have seen the colorful mark of muralist David Russell. From the soaring “Welcome to Westchester” mural that can be seen from LAX’s runway, to the youth-inspired design at the local YMCA, to his most recent work at Tomat, David has transformed blank walls into vibrant canvases that bring this community’s story to life.
A senior lecturer at both LMU and Otis College of Art & Design (where he earned his Master’s degree), Westchester resident David has built his career around public art. For him, murals are more than decoration, they’re about connection.
“Public art has the potential to give or connect people to their community,” he says. “Most of my murals reflect the identity of the neighborhoods they serve. They become landmarks, something people feel at home with.”
Celebrating Local Icons Through Murals
David’s murals are rich with symbolism, history, and a sense of place. He often involves students and neighbors in workshops, to ensure the work reflects their voices and memories, not just his own. That collaborative spirit shows up most clearly in three large-scale Westchester landmarks.
Welcome to Westchester
Painted in 2017 on the twin walls of the Airport Office Center at the behest of Karen Dial, President of Drollinger Properties, “Welcome to Westchester” is David’s signature community piece. Each wall, soaring 65-feet high and 70-feet wide, carries imagery that weaves together the neighborhood’s history, nature, and future. A graceful egret morphs into a Boeing 747 carrying the space shuttle Endeavour, not only symbolizing both 90045’s natural beauty and its deep ties to aviation, but also a shared memory in the community from 2012.
“That airplane, with the Endeavour on its back, signifies a story that a lot of people in Westchester can identify with because they had to park it on Sepulveda and a lot of families came out to look at it. It’s a reminder of some of the history of what’s happened in this community,” says David.
He also notes that in the background of the mural, blueprints of bird wings and aircraft wings echo each other, an image that David was inspired to create after he spoke to Karen’s husband, Ken Dial, a professor at the University of Montana.
“Ken studied bird research on aviation and technology. It occurred to me then that everything we create through technology is inspired by nature, and that was really cool,” says David.
The mural also hides a quiet surprise: the word “welcome” appears in seven languages, but only when the sun hits the wall just right.
“I thought that was apropos,” he says, as a nod to Westchester’s international identity, thanks to its proximity to LAX.
At the mural’s base are architectural touchstones: the Loyola and Paradise Theaters, the historic IBM building (now Otis College), and elements of Ballona Creek, which connects the neighborhood back to its earliest Tongva roots.
More than a mural, it’s a snapshot of Westchester’s layered identity–past, present, and future–painted large enough to greet every passerby.
Dream Big
One of David’s most viewed murals shines on the Westchester Family YMCA building, a project he describes as deeply collaborative and filled with local voices. The mural, titled “Dream Big,” was painted in July 2023 with the help of Mobile Mural Lab artists Renée Fox and Hunter Culberson, along with help from the Y’s Mural Task Force and teenage Y members.
The design reflects the aspirations and energy of youth with origami birds, paper airplanes, and soaring shapes stitched together in vibrant color. David engaged local teens in workshops, inviting them to share their dreams, ideas, and stories about what Westchester means to them. Their input shaped much of the imagery and composition.
“The idea is these kids are in this imaginary land of all this colorful paper, and they’re crafting these different vessels that can take their imagination to something bigger,” David says.
As its dedication plaque reads, “Dream Big” is a visible reminder of “the opportunities that the YMCA provides to all throughout the arc of their lives” and encouragement to all to “reflect on their passions and potential.”
Looming large on Sepulveda Boulevard, the mural offers daily inspiration for all those who drive by it, or are visiting the community hub that has served the neighborhood for more than 70 years.
Tomat Mural
David’s newest project, unveiled this summer, is painted on the rooftop of Tomat, and can be seen by anyone visiting the Westchester Triangle. Created in collaboration with restaurant owner Natalie Dial, the mural celebrates Westchester’s beloved landmarks in a bold, pop-art style. Painted in bright, joyful retro colors, it features the Paradise Theater, Milliron’s, Jim Dandy Market, the Antique Mall, and other beloved Westchester buildings–some long gone, some reimagined and some still standing–that are sure to spark nostalgia for longtime residents.
David designed the piece to be striking from afar, with clean lines and overlapping structures that suggest movement and change while still letting each landmark stand out. For Natalie, whose childhood memories are tied to many of these sites, it was a way to honor the places that shaped her family and community while creating another opportunity to use public art to capture the soul of a neighborhood, David shares.
A stone’s throw from Tomat, David has also painted a tribute to poet and author Maya Angelou, and multiple murals in the parking lot near Staples, which were created with the help of Otis students in the Creative Action Program.
A Dream Project: Honoring a Fallen Firefighter
While David is beyond proud of these projects, he has his heart set on a new mural, one that honors a local hero. He hopes to create a memorial mural for firefighter Brent A. Lovrien, who was killed in the line of duty in 2008 while responding to an explosion at La Tijera and Sepulveda in Westchester. He was just 35 years old.
“There’s a plaque on that building now, but I want to add to that by creating a mural that really memorializes his sacrifice,” he says.
To make it happen, he’s raising funds. The project will be supported through the Westchester/Playa Historical Society, where David serves on the board, and with a GoFundMe campaign soon to be launched.
“This is a chance to not just remember Brent, but to show gratitude for all the first responders who protect this community,” he says.
Art That Belongs to the Community
For David, the process of creating a mural is just as important as the final brushstrokes. He often involves students and residents in workshops to shape the designs. A glow-in-the-dark mural he created at Dockweiler Beach titled, “Where Are You From,” featured input and participation from hundreds before it was unveiled, for example.
“I want the people who live with the art every day to feel like it belongs to them,” he says.
And in Westchester, people have responded. His walls are now woven into the fabric of daily life, becoming backdrops for photos and landmarks for directions, serving as reminders of the neighborhood’s unique identity.
As David looks to the future, his dream is that more walls can tell more stories that shine a spotlight on the people and places that have played impactful roles in the neighborhood over the years.
“I’m honored to be part of this community,” he says. “There’s so much history here that deserves to be remembered and celebrated.”
If you’d like to support David’s memorial mural for firefighter Brent Lovrien, visit http://gofund.me/6cccfd80f or wphistoricalsociety.org.
By Shanee Edwards. Top photo by Zsuzsi Steiner.