A mural to Los Angeles legends in the city of Bellflower could soon be taken down, but community members and even some celebrities are joining the fight to keep it up.
It’s been on the front of a Speedy Auto Tint in Bellflower for just two weeks, but the city says all murals must face the side of a road. This one is facing straight on Woodruff Avenue.
The owners and the artist hope the city will give them an exemption because of what these murals represent.
Artist Sloe spent a month creating his masterpiece, painstaking days on his knees, sitting on the ground crafting his homage to LA greats like Kobe Bryant, Snoop Dogg, Tupac, Oscar de la Hoya, Danny Trejo and even Vin Scully.
“I just want to put some great artwork for Bellflower to love and cherish you know,” Sloe said.
“I feel like it’s the heart and soul to this building,” Robert Cornejo, owner of Speedy Auto Tint said.
Cornejo said he wanted his first shop in Bellflower to stand out to be a beacon for art lovers, but he didn’t realize it would also attract city enforcement.
Neither he nor the artist knew Bellflower city code required murals to face the side of streets.
Cornejo said he plans to appeal and ask for an exemption to keep the mural up. His wife and kids all helped paint it and he can’t imagine being forced to cover it up.
“It will bring me to tears, honestly it’s like my third child,” Cornejo said.
Sunny Stussy, who has lived in Bellflower for 20 years, stopped by to take a picture of the mural.
She says there is nothing like it here and she has signed a petition to keep it up.
Stussy is not alone in the fight. Some of the celebrities depicted on the mural Oscar De La Hoya and Danny Trejo are pledging their support on social media.
“Anything out of love for the city and out of pride for us should always stay,” Sloe said.
There is still no response from the city. The code allows for an appeal to a violation, but it’s unclear if it will grant an exemption to keep the mural up.
Source: NBC Los Angeles