L.A. Times Collaborates with Iconic Newsstand to Feature Local Artists’ Work

The Los Angeles Times and the Farmers Market Newsstand have collaborated on a special art installation featuring the work of six local artists.

The project, which was completed on March 13, includes a photo-moment mural designed and painted by artist Mike Farrell along with five banners, each featuring a different artist’s interpretation of the city. 

The newsstand, owned since 1976 by Paul Sobel, is one of the hubs and central meeting spots of the Original Farmers Market at 3rd and Fairfax. One of the last remaining newsstands in L.A., it has continued to thrive throughout the decades as a trusted purveyor of newspapers, magazines and sundries, and also houses an official USPS Postal Outlet.

In the ’80s, The Times commissioned a mural depicting customers picking up and reading their papers at the newsstand, but the mural faded and was eventually painted over. 

Sobel approached The Times about refreshing the mural and the consumer marketing team jumped at the opportunity, according to Brandon Sides, Times creative director.

“The goal was to reestablish our relationship with one of the last newsstands in Los Angeles as well as engage a younger demographic of customers,” Sides said. “We also got excited about finding ways to support local artists.”

The banners showcase an array of images and themes, all with a distinct L.A. flavor. An L.A. Times banner carries the mission statement for the collective piece. It reads:

A city lives and breathes. It grows, evolves, adapts. It is ever-changing. But sometimes you’re lucky enough to catch a glimpse of it. In an effort to capture the sprawling majestic, sometimes peaceful, more often clamorous City of Angels, Los Angeles Times invited artists to share their perspectives on their city. These artists see Los Angeles. They are from here, they live here, they are L.A. And through their eyes, you see the city they see.

“Over the last 45 years, the Farmers Market Newsstand has become known as one of Los Angeles’ most trusted destinations for information gathering and community connection,” Sobel said. “This mural provides Angelenos and visitors the opportunity to memorialize their picture-perfect moment at the Market, while also reminding us about what makes our city so diverse and special.”

Learn more about the artists and view the banners.