13 Stunning Public Art Installations in Los Angeles (2025)

The longer summer days give you more time to explore the city.

Here’s a map of LA public art that highlights some of the most notable murals, sculptures and installations. We’ve chosen both newer pieces, such as a Skid Row mural created by local residents, and time-tested favorites at LACMA like “Urban Light”.

Public art is not limited to Central LA. A row of murals in Pacoima or a giant fork in a Pasadena Road Show are examples.

This 13-point guide will help you find public art installation in Los Angeles, including an urban-scale rainbow and an interactive hologram.

1.”Rainbow”, by Tony Tasset

This enormous rainbow can be seen from various spots in Culver city. The piece is said to be a tribute to The Wizard of Oz which was filmed on the MGM lot (now Sony).
10202 West Washington Boulevard, Culver City, CA 90232

2. Adam Tanenbaum’s Chandelier Tree

Adam Tenenbaum, an artist, contractor, and set builder, started hanging spare chandeliers from the tree outside of his house with his aerialist roommate one day. A few years later, the entire neighborhood fell in love with his beautiful piece. Only in Silver Lake!
West Silver Lake Drive and Shadowlawn Avenue in Los Angeles, CA, 90039

3. “League of Shadows”, by P-A.T.E.R-N.S

The SCI-Arc pavilion for graduation was designed by faculty members who won a design competition. Its name comes from its ability to block the sun. In 2013, it was said that the piece would be parked in the parking lot of the school for at least four to five years. It’s still sitting there.

960 East 3rd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013

4. Rottblatt Amrany Kareem Abdul Jabbar statue

Last year, Abdul-Jabbar’s statue (in the skyhook position), which is a favorite of both sports fans and art lovers, joined a small group of statues that are located outside Staples. Also, you can see Magic Johnson and Jerry West. You will also find Chick Hearn, Oscar de la Hoya and Wayne Gretzky.

1111 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90015

5. Jessica Polzin McCoy, “Neighborhood Portrait Reconstructed”.

These watercolor collages at the Expo Line’s Expo/Vermont Station “describe window frames, doorways, and garden gates which define the architecture” of West Adams. The platform has “similarly assembled paintings of local residents sitting in the interiors” of their homes.

1043 West Exposition Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90007

6.Venice Art Walls are available to anyone with a permit

Venice Art Walls is open to any artist who has a permit, and an urge to paint (on weekends and public holidays). In Creative Unity is a “graffiti arts advocacy group” that has “led the movement to preserve these walls as a memorial to the high-quality graffiti style art that has been created on these walls over the past thirty years.”

1800 Ocean Front Walk, Los Angeles, CA 90291

7.Ken Marshall, “Fork in the Road”, Ken Marshall

The giant fork is located in the Caltrans median in Pasadena. The first time it was up at night, in 2009 as a birthday joke for a comedian club owner. After a few months off the road it was permanently replaced by October 2011.

South Pasadena Avenue & South Saint John Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91105

8.Paul Tzanetopoulos/Ted Tokio Tanaka, LAX Pylons

After only 15 years, Hollywood has made the LAX letters and pylons at LAX a familiar sight around the globe. Tanaka’s 32-foot letters; Tzanetopoulos 26 pylons ranging from 25 to 60 foot along Century Blvd. At Century and Sepulveda, the letters reached 100 feet.

Los Angeles World Airports reports that LEDs were installed in 2006. They “burn less energy while providing more vibrant colors,”. The airport still pays $18,000 per year for the electricity used by the pylons.

1 World Way, Los Angeles International Airport, Los Angeles, CA 90045

9.“sixbeaststwomonkeys” by Peter Shelton

What are the sculptures of “sixbeaststwomonkeys,” which sit alongside the LAPD headquarters Downtown? Bill Bratton, then-Chief of the LAPD, thought they were “some sort of cow splat,” when installed 2009 Animals with no heads? Creepy babies? What is it about these babies that makes people so fascinated?

100 West 1st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012

10. Judith Baca, “Great Wall of Los Angeles”, by Judith Baca

The Great Wall of Los Angeles is a half-mile long and traces the history of California from the prehistoric period. The Great Wall of Los Angeles was painted in 1974 by local youths and artists, as well as other members of the community.

The Social and Public Art Resource Center (the group that created the wall mural) has been working to restore and extend the piece, and also build a pedestrian bridge which would allow better viewing of the work.

Burbank Boulevard & Coldwater Canyon Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 91401

11. “Drive By” (Elecland)

“Drive By” features 240 feet worth of LED movie quotes (“Forget It, Jake. “It’s Chinatown,” as an example. In 2007, the city deemed it to be an advertisement and took it down. was able to get the piece back up in NoHo Commons early 2011 after a long battle.

5300 Lankershim Boulevard North Hollywood, CA 91601

12. Ball-Nogues, “Cradle”, by Ball Nogues

The piece was installed in the summer of 2010. The piece was installed in summer 2010.

395 Santa Monica Place, Santa Monica, CA 90401

13. Jenny Holzer, “Blacklist”, Jenny Holzer

Faculty in USC’s Filmic Writing Program ordered “Blacklist” in 1999. It consists of 10 benches made of stone engraved with quotes by members of the Hollywood Ten. The piece is located in a garden created by Professor Achva Stein Benzinberg.

The University of Southern California at 823 Exposition Boulevard in Los Angeles, CA, 90007