Monrovia selects Ryan Birch to paint Route 66 centennial mural on Huntington Drive overpass

Monrovia's Art in Public Places program has selected artist Ryan Birch to paint an estimated 2,400-square-foot mural on a Huntington Drive overpass as part of the city's 2026 Route 66 centennial observance.

City staff and committee members described the project at a public meeting, saying the mural will portray Monrovia landmarks and four eras of local history, and that the selection followed a competitive call for artists. An Art in Public Places staff member said, “The art in public places program was created in 02/2004. It's a city of Monrovia program. The entire intent behind it was as a city, we want to promote and support the arts.”

The project grew out of a proposal brought to the committee by the council representative and the chair of the Art in Public Places Committee, who said the idea was to create a visible Route 66 project “that would memorialize that overpass and make it special, make it our own.” Committee members and staff reported reviewing artist proposals, placement and how the mural would reflect Monrovia’s history.

Artist Ryan Birch, identified by the committee as the chosen artist, described his approach and connection to public art: “This is a great canvas for Monrovia. What better project to be a part of than something like this to really show homage to Monrovia.” Birch said the mural will move left-to-right through historical scenes, including a 1920s Model T and orange-grove imagery, a midcentury gas station and cars, and a modern view featuring local high school and mountain motifs.

A longtime Monrovia resident and speaker at the meeting said, “I've been living in Monrovia for over 70 years, so I've been able to see the change along the way.” Residents and committee members emphasized the mural’s intent to celebrate the city’s identity — citing local landmarks such as the Aztec Hotel, the Shamrock Avenue service station site, Monrovia High School and references to the monarch butterfly movement in the area.

Staff described the funding source as the city's Art in Public Places program, which collects fees on certain private developments to pay for public art and commissions. Committee members said the team considered several installation approaches and determined painting a mural was preferable to attaching a metallic sculpture to the overpass, noting that a mural would be less intrusive to the bridge structure.

Those managing the project said several implementation steps remain: finalizing the design, securing contract agreements and permits, and obtaining encroachment and air-rights approvals from relevant property owners and permitting authorities. A staff member noted the project required “the call for artists and the resolutions and the contract agreements and the permits and the encroachment rights and air rights to be able to work up in the air.”

Committee members presented the mural as a tourism and centennial asset tied to Route 66, which they noted will have a national centennial in 2026. Speakers referenced Route 66’s broader history — including migration to California in the 1930s and changes after the 1956 Interstate Highway Act — as background for the mural’s themes.

Project organizers said the selected design divides the overpass into concrete sections so different viewers and passing motorists will see distinct scenes as they travel east or west. The committee described the work as intended to be durable and to represent multiple eras: early automobile travel, midcentury commercial culture, and contemporary Monrovia.

No formal vote or ordinance was recorded in the meeting transcript provided; committee remarks and public comments indicated selection and moving forward with contract and permitting steps rather than a council adoption recorded in the transcript.

The project team said they expect the mural to become a long-term public artwork and a visible element of the city’s centennial commemoration.