Boyle Heights muralist Robert Vargas is stepping up to the pitcher’s mound at Dodger Stadium Sunday to throw the game’s ceremonial first pitch in honor of Robert Vargas Day.
The artist, who recently unveiled a massive Shohei Ohtani mural to celebrate the launch of the new Dodger’s career, has painted all over the city and across the globe. Los Angeles officials in 2021 declared Sept. 8 Robert Vargas Day to honor the Eastside creative.
Locally, the intersection of 1st and State streets in Boyle Heights has been dubbed “Robert Vargas Square” after the Boyle Heights native.
“You know, I grew up on City View Avenue, where my front porch faced downtown L.A. and my back porch faced Dodger Stadium. And to be able to marry these two childhood memories together is really special for me,” Vargas said in an interview with Boyle Heights Beat.
Vargas described his painting in Little Tokyo this year of the Japanese pitcher as a humbling experience and said he felt honored to be unifying Los Angeles through the banner of the Dodgers.
“Underneath it all, it’s really about representation and unity and bridging cultures from the Eastside to Little Tokyo and beyond,” he said.
According to Vargas, Boyle Heights and Little Tokyo community members and business owners will be in the stands at the Dodgers’ Sunday afternoon matchup against the Cleveland Guardians. He also hinted that Ohtani himself may be the one to catch Vargas’ pitch.
“Someone from Boyle Heights pitching to a Japanese-born player like that actually makes the whole intention come to life. That in itself encapsulates my mission and intention of the mural,” Vargas said.
In addition to his pitch this weekend, the Boyle Heights community will celebrate Robert Vargas Day the following weekend, Saturday, Sept.14, in the third annual Art is Home. The event focused on supporting the arts for local youth will take place at Robert Vargas Square at First and State streets from noon to 5 p.m.
