About the Artist
Christian Garcia is a self-taught muralist originally from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. He began painting at age fifteen, heavily influenced by the expansive, vibrant murals and graffiti he encountered during childhood summers spent visiting family in the Bay Area.
Garcia spent over twenty years in Chico, California, where he became a beloved fixture of the local arts scene—creating twelve murals throughout the city and earning a formal commendation from Mayor Randall Stone for his outstanding contributions. He studied graphic design at Butte College but found the professional design world too restrictive. "It wasn't something for me," Garcia explains. "It felt too structured... it just didn't feel like your artwork anymore."
So he chose walls over corporate briefs. His style blends urban elements, graffiti techniques, and fine art into visually striking works with a socially conscious purpose. His subjects frequently explore his Mexican heritage—incorporating tapestries, floral motifs, and animal species tied to Mexican iconography.
Now based in Long Beach, Garcia continues his mission to cover every available wall with art. "I think the most inspiring thing is resiliency," he says, "thinking like we're hard-working people, and that there are so many stories to tell there."
About the Mural
A bald eagle commands the wall, beak open in a powerful call, wings folded against meticulously detailed brown feathers. Behind it, stylized mountains rise in layers of teal, burgundy, and midnight blue, while a fiery orange sunset blazes along the horizon. Dark silhouettes of pine trees anchor the composition at the base.
The eagle carries layered meaning. As America's national symbol, it represents freedom, strength, and vision—the ability to see clearly from great heights. But for Garcia, whose work consistently celebrates the natural world and Mexican heritage, the bird is also simply a magnificent creature rendered with reverence.
The mountain landscape evokes the rugged terrain of both the American West and the Sierra Madre of Garcia's ancestral Jalisco. The vivid sunset suggests hope and new beginnings. On this wall, Garcia has created an image that is simultaneously patriotic and personal, bold and contemplative. It speaks to the American dream while honoring the immigrant story.
About the Sponsor: Holt x Palm
Holt x Palm is a home decor and lifestyle retail experience located at 115 South Palm Avenue, right in the heart of Downtown Ontario's Arts District. Founded by Mia Sophia Melle, the shop occupies a century-old historic building that once served as an auto assembly plant — now completely renovated and transformed into an upscale, highly curated retail space and art gallery.
Holt x Palm's commitment to the Arts District extends far beyond retail. As producer of O-Town Walls Muralfest, host of monthly Art Expos every third Saturday, publisher of The Drop quarterly magazine, and operator of Untitled Gallery, Holt x Palm has become the heartbeat of Downtown Ontario's creative renaissance.
Through real estate investment, community programming, and initiatives like this mural festival, Holt x Palm continues to prove that when you invest in your neighborhood, the neighborhood invests back.