New neighborhood mural appearing on the Boulevard

Casey Russell | June 1, 2023 | 0 Comments

WORKING AWAY on the mural.

Popular East Coast bakery Levain is planning to open its first West Coast site at 227 N. Larchmont Blvd. sometime before July 4. And in preparation for its debut here in Los Angeles, work is being done not just on the inside, but on the outside of this new Boulevard business.

Incorporated into the design at many of Levain’s locations is a large mural map illustration representing the local store’s neighborhood. Larchmont will not be an exception. But in a way, it will be a first.

Pam Lewy, vice president of marketing and communications for Levain, told us that this new location will be the first to have its mural outside rather than inside. Kirstin Bunger, project manager for Levain Larchmont, told us this is due to the design of this particular shop’s space. There wasn’t an appropriate wall for an inside mural.

The team was pleased to realize that a perfect wall for the mural existed on an outside wall of their store, which faces the Wells Fargo parking lot. Meeting dates were scheduled to present and discuss the proposed artwork. Bunger said, “We had people call in who were really excited about this blank, big wall having something on it that has to do with the community. So it’s been really well received.”

MURAL ARTIST Janice Chang (at left, in lift) and her colleagues begin laying out the painting to cover the wall facing the Wells Fargo parking lot on Larchmont Boulevard.

Reviewed by Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council
The mural was reviewed by the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council (GWNC) Land Use Committee at a recent Zoom meeting. Revisions were made by artist Janice Chang to remove the bakery’s name from the mural to comply with city regulations, and the project was officially approved by the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs.

It was important to bakery owners Pam Weekes and Connie McDonald to choose a mural artist who was familiar with the area and could tie the artwork into the community and its local history. They saw Chang, a Los Angeles native who is currently based in Brooklyn, New York, as having a style unique to Los Angeles. “Her vibrant and whimsical work does a wonderful job of highlighting some of the best and [most] iconic things about Larchmont Village, as well as the city of Los Angeles,” said McDonald.

Village Clock
These include the Village Clock, Larchmont shuttle and the median monument at Third Street.

Of course, power washing, patching and priming were needed to prepare for Chang and her team to begin the painting in late May.

Lewy told us that when Weekes and McDonald were looking for a West Coast neighborhood in which to expand their business, the fact that the Boulevard is such a walkable street held great appeal. “We love that Larchmont Village felt like a place where we could be a part of a close community and really get to know our neighbors,” said Weekes. The East Coast residents are looking forward to visiting as often as they can.