Placemaking × Infrastructure — City of Commerce & Caltrans, Los Angeles, 2024Concrete Gallery
15,000 square feet across three integrated zones—the largest art installation ever created on Caltrans property in Southern California history. We transformed the Triggs Street underpass into a cultural landmark through an approach never before attempted on freeway infrastructure. The monochromatic gateways use trompe-l'œil stone relief to frame the entry—honoring the 710 and 5 freeways overhead, rail yards, and an Olympian holding the torch (celebrating a city of 13,000 that produced four Olympians). Inside, two vibrant underpass murals tell Commerce's story: "Belonging" captures families celebrating in parks with 3D elements popping from the wall and an ode to a 1979 Chicano mural "Homeboy Crew", while "The Model City" traces the city's industrial past to its future in Art Deco style. The pedestrian tunnel becomes "Walking in a Flower Wonderland"—an immersive reverse panoramic poppy field/flower garden transforming a dark passage into an enchanted portal. Design to fabrication—entirely ours. Commissioned through Caltrans Pathways of Hope Grant and City of Commerce.
Concrete Gallery Trailer
Concrete Gallery chronicles the transformation of Commerce, California's freeway underpasses into a 15,000-square-foot public art installation. Funded by Caltrans' Clean California initiative, the "Pathways of Hope" project turns overlooked infrastructure into a celebrated gallery experienced by thousands of commuters daily. The film follows Vivache's Michael & Seema as they design and execute the project along with their supporting artists—creating four monumental murals: "Pathways of Hope," "Belonging," "The Model City," and "Walking in a Flower Wonderland"—while exploring themes of accessibility, community identity, and the democratization of high art.
In the Media
Clean California Brings Art-Centered Gateways and Park Improvements to Commerce
Published: Apr 6, 2026
