Highland Park sidewalk mosaics rep Chicken Boy and other neighborhood icons

The transformation of Highland Park from working class neighborhood to hipster haven continues Friday when the wraps come off a series of artistic tile mosaics embedded in the sidewalks.

Fourteen sidewalk mosaics installed on Figueroa Street between Avenues 53 and 60 depict the street’s present and past, when trolly cars rolled past the Highland Theatre.

One of the more popular is likely to be the tile depiction of Chicken Boy, that 22-foot tall fiberglass advertising giant that watches over Figueroa Street from atop a Mexican restaurant.

“I love Chicken Boy,” said Alex Morales, manager of Civil Coffee on Figueroa. “The artistry of it is a nice way to look to the past and pay homage and respect to that, so I definitely like that."

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The Chicken Boy mosaic is in front of the Highland Theatre.

Chicken Boy, an iconic landmark in Highland Park, stands high atop a Mexican restaurant on Figueroa Street. The fiberglass statue inspired a tile mosaic installed in the sidewalk nearby.

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Another mosaic depicts modern-day members of the Highland Park Ebell Club arrayed on the steps of their 1912 clubhouse. One shows the founder of  Judson Studio and some of the stained glass created there.

Amador Beto installs a tile sidewalk mosaic on Figueroa Street near S. Avenue 57. This one depicts modern-day women of the Highland Park Ebell Club in front of their 1912 clubhouse, which is just around the corner.

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A $149,000 grant from the Los Angeles city Department of Transportation funded the mosaics, said Arturo Nevarez of the nonprofit Los Angeles Neighborhood, who is the project manager overseeing the installation.

The sidewalk mosaics were initially expected to be completed two years ago, however delays obtaining city permits dragged out the process, Nevarez said. The tiles had to be tested to ensure they were slip-resistant and water resistant.

Tile artist Wick Alexander produced the mosaics based on photos of local landmarks and people, said his partner, Robin Brailsford of Brailsford Public Art in San Diego.

One of 14 sidewalk tile mosaics is caulked into place at S. Avenue 53 and Figueroa Street in Highland Park on March 28, 2018.

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Highland Park is one of the oldest communities in Los Angeles, the first to be annexed to the city, and one of the most densely populated. The 1920s-era storefronts make for a walkable community, something that neighborhood and business stakeholders wanted to emphasize with art that walkers would notice underfoot.

The popularity of Highland Park, as expressed in artsy sidewalks, can make it a more challenging environment for longtime merchants like Fernando Carmona. He’s been running a beauty supply store and hair salon for 16 years.

Asked if he thought his store could remain as rents rise, he said, “I don’t know. Maybe yes?”

Much work remains to be done on Figueroa Street. While some sidewalks have been smoothed out, others remain a jumble of broken concrete and asphalt patches.

Despite the installation of 14 sidewalk tile mosaics and several other street name markers along Figueroa Street, the sidewalks of Highland Park still have sections that need extensive repair.

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Sharon McNary

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