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Art May 27, 2022
The Micheltorena stairway mural in Silver Lake. | Photo by Shinya Suzuki (CC BY-ND 2.0)
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The Micheltorena stairway mural in Silver Lake was restored Thursday by its original artists after being vandalized and whitewashed in April.
The “Stair Candy” mural, on the south side of Sunset Boulevard at Micheltorena Street, was painted in 2015 by local artists Corinne Carey, Carla O’Brien and Mandon Bassi.
Genelle Le Vin, president of the Silver Lake Improvement Association — which collaborated on the restoration — called the mural “synonymous with Silver Lake.”
The stairs, which have become a destination for people to take photos for on Instagram, was vandalized and whitewashed in April by a person who has not yet been identified, according to Mitch O’Farrell’s office.
O’Farrell said Thursday that his office began work to get the mural restored by the original artists as soon as they heard it had been whitewashed.
“Art elevates our public spaces and, thanks to the hard work of artist Carla O’Brien, the Silver Lake Improvement Association, and community volunteers, the Micheltorena stairway mural will once again enliven Silver Lake and draw Angelenos from across the city,” O’Farrell said.
The mural was repainted on Wednesday and Thursday, and the Office of Community Beautification applied anti-graffiti coating to protect it from further vandalism.
“The community’s support for ‘Stair Candy’ and our original artistic vision has been overwhelming, in particular the strong support from Councilmember O’Farrell, the Silver Lake Improvement Association and the Hollywood Sunset Free Clinic,” said artist Carla O’Brien. “Our work to restore ‘Stair Candy’ ensures that this public art piece will continue to be enjoyed by all Angelenos, while fulfilling art’s central mission of bringing people together.”
