Robert Vargas (artist)

Last updated
Robert Vargas
Born
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Known for Mural, portrait art
AwardsHonorary doctorate, Art Center College of Design (2024)

Robert Vargas is an American muralist and portrait artist based in Los Angeles. He is known for large-scale murals depicting cultural and sports figures in the Los Angeles area. [1]

Contents

Early life and education

Vargas was raised in Boyle Heights. [2] He attended the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA) and the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York.

Career

Vargas has created murals in Los Angeles neighborhoods including Boyle Heights, Little Tokyo, and downtown Los Angeles. [3] In 2017, he completed a mural of the Virgin Mary titled Angelus on a building in downtown Los Angeles, which was described as the largest mural of the Virgin Mary in the United States. [1] [4]

In 2024, Vargas painted a mural of baseball player Shohei Ohtani in Little Tokyo. [5] That same year, he created a mural honoring baseball pitcher Fernando Valenzuela in Boyle Heights. [6]

Honors

In 2022, the Los Angeles City Council designated the intersection of Cesar Chavez Avenue and Soto Street as "Robert Vargas Square" in recognition of his work in Boyle Heights. [7] [8] [9]

In 2024, Vargas received an honorary doctorate from the Art Center College of Design. [10] [11]

On January 13, 2026, Vargas was honored by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors by naming January 24th as the Robert Vargas Day in Los Angeles County and every year thereafter. [12]

References

  1. 1 2 Orellana, Mariana (September 1, 2017). "L.A. artist Robert Vargas on painting 'Angelus,' the largest mural of the Virgin Mary in the U.S." Los Angeles Times . Retrieved January 11, 2026.
  2. ↑ Ayala, Elina (January 8, 2025). "LA artist Robert Vargas on his new mural and his bid to break a world record". LAist . Retrieved January 11, 2026.
  3. ↑ Chabria, Anita (November 28, 2017). "Muralist Robert Vargas Paints Indigenous Representation Into Los Angeles Skyline". Latino USA. Futuro Media. Retrieved January 11, 2026.
  4. ↑ Staff (November 16, 2017). "L.A. artist Robert Vargas hopes to set record with Angelus mural". LAist . Retrieved January 11, 2026.
  5. ↑ Kohatsu, J.K. (March 14, 2024). "Artist Robert Vargas Paints Shohei Ohtani Mural in Little Tokyo". Rafu Shimpo . Retrieved January 11, 2026.
  6. ↑ Perez, Jessica (November 5, 2024). "Artist Robert Vargas adds to Fernando Valenzuela death tributes with Boyle Heights mural". Boyle Heights Beat. Retrieved January 11, 2026.
  7. ↑ Sanchez, Keila (December 20, 2022). "Artist Robert Vargas to be honored with an intersection named after him in Boyle Heights". Boyle Heights Beat. Retrieved January 11, 2026.
  8. ↑ Staff (December 23, 2022). "LA Honors Famed Local Muralist With 'Robert Vargas Square'". CBS Los Angeles . Retrieved January 11, 2026.
  9. ↑ Staff (December 23, 2022). "Artist honored with mural, square in Boyle Heights and downtown LA". KABC-TV . Retrieved January 11, 2026.
  10. ↑ Staff (May 13, 2024). "ArtCenter Honors Robert Vargas with Honorary Doctorate at Spring 2024 Graduation". Art Center College of Design. Retrieved January 11, 2026.
  11. ↑ Parvaz, Nazy (May 11, 2024). "Famed L.A. Artist Robert Vargas to Receive Honorary Doctorate from ArtCenter College of Design". Pasadena Now. Retrieved January 11, 2026.
  12. ↑ "LA County declares Robert Vargas Day to honor prolific muralist". Los Angeles Daily News. MediaNews Group. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
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