Story by
Jorge Casuso 
An iconic half-century old mural that has become emblematic of Santa Monica's laid-back beach culture will be removed soon under a settlement between the owner and the City.
City officials confirmed that Mark Leevan, the owner of the former savings and loan building on the corner of 26th Street and Wilshire Boulevard, is moving forward with plans to remove the large mural composed of colored mosaic tiles.
Created by renowned artist Millard Sheets, the 40 foot by 16-and-a-half foot mural above the entry depicts a day at the beach that for generations has captured the essence of the community.
"The City has received notice that the owner has worked with the artist’s son to find a willing recipient for the mural," said Constance Farrell, the City's spokesperson.
"The owner has therefore requested to proceed with removing the mural, which is permissible under the terms of the settlement agreement. The City is reviewing the request at this time."
The
Santa Monica Conservancy sent an email alert Friday noting that the mural on the prominent Y-shaped building that was designated a landmark in 2017 could soon be removed.
"See it now before it's gone!" the Conservancy wrote in its alert.
The building, the email said, "will soon lose its remarkable artworks, including the impressive mosaic mural depicting a beach scene."
"While the Conservancy is glad that a recipient has been found, the fact remains that this iconic Santa Monica landmark is being torn apart, its artwork removed from its original architectural setting, and a landmark lost."
Read more on this at
Iconic Santa Monica Beach Mural Will Soon Be Removed
This Sunday only. Celebrate Summer & Save With ZJ Boarding House ! 
Patagonia Santa Monica is looking for inspiring short films (up to five minutes long) to screen at their fourth annual Patagonia Film Festival on August 1.
On Sunday afternoon, a couple surfers were returning to the short term parking lot at Tower 26 and saw this lady trying to rip the license plate off their car. She was able to yank the frame off and walked away when they showed up. As on called the cops, the other started filming her. He posted the confrontation to his Instagram story (that's where these screen grabs originally came from, we reposted them to our Insta-story too). According to the guys, she was yelling back at them then when off and lock herself in the bathroom, still screaming till the cops showed up.
Come out to Patagonia Santa Monica for their annual Community Board Swap! They will also have an epic FCD board sale on select past season boards. Coffee and snacks are free, there will also be June Shine Hard Kombucha serving throughout the event. Stop by to score an awesome deal on a new board or a new-to-you board!
Social Buttons