Northwest Passage

Art Mortimer

The concrete facing around this pedestrian tunnel under the SR-91 Freeway in North Long Beach is painted to look like a tunnel through a mountain in a National Park. On the left side, a river winds through the woods and a bear fishes for salmon in the river. On the right, a stream cascades down over rocks from the central mountain and two deer are poised on the rocks overlooking a large valley in the distance. The 18′ x 91′ acrylic mural provides a brief imaginary vacation for the schoolchildren and parents who use it to reach the elementary school on the other side of the freeway. The mural is a collaborative effort by Art Mortimer with tile artists Steve Elicker and Lesa Neal. The low wall and pillars are rendered in tile. The other end of the tunnel is the location of the Coastal Passage mural.Californa Transportation Authority Tunnel Wall.