Monday, June 1, 2026

Altadena Unveils Its Largest Mural Ever, a Monument to Fire, Memory and Mountains

By EDDIE RIVERA

Town dedicates a mural for the ages

More than 200 Altadenans came together Sunday, May 31, 2026, to dedicate what organizers are calling the community’s largest public mural — a sweeping visual chronicle of the Mount Lowe Railway painted along the Altadena Crest Trail near the Cobb Estate, and a testament to the fire-scarred community’s history and future.

“From Rails to Trails: Echo Mountain,” created by muralist Austin Scott and commissioned by Waleed and Erin Delawari, was painted on a newly constructed wall at the Delawari family’s property — a wall that replaced the wooden fence the Eaton Fire destroyed when it also took their home and one of their goats.

More than 80 community volunteers contributed nearly 1,000 combined hours over 36 consecutive days to bring the mural to life. The dedication, presented by the nonprofit organization 24LA, ran from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. along the Altadena Crest Trail east of Canon Boulevard above Loma Alta, and included music, historical displays and refreshments alongside remarks from community leaders and supporters.

Scott, who has become one of Altadena’s most visible artists since the fire — with works including “Altadena Forever,” a mural honoring businesses lost in the Eaton Fire, as well as pieces at Eagles Hall, Altadena Cookie Co. and Alma Fuerte School — described the work as operating on two levels. On the surface, he said, it tells the story of the Mount Lowe Railway — “great but short” — through the eyes of local animals: a bear conductor, a rabbit companion, a parrot clutching a poppy. Beneath that, it carries something harder to see. “This wall carries the hands of this community,” Scott said. “It carries grief, but it also carries humor. It carries stubbornness.”

In a statement issued ahead of the dedication, Scott put it this way: “This mural is about more than art — it’s about reclaiming our narrative and celebrating the strength of Altadena. It belongs to everyone who picked up a brush, shared a story, or simply showed up in support.”

Before the curtain dropped, Scott paused to honor the land itself. He officially dedicated the mural to the ancestors of the Hahamog’na — the Indigenous people historically connected to the Altadena area — and invited Christie Loera of the San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians Gabrielino Tongva to accept the dedication on their behalf.

He also called attention to a bench the Delawari family had quietly placed at the site, its plaque reading: “In memory of what was, in hope of what will be. January 7th, 2025.”

“To turn a place touched by so much pain into something public, joyful, and shared,” Scott said of the family’s generosity, “that is truly an act of courage.”

The ceremony drew representatives from the offices of United States Congresswoman Judy Chu, State Senator Sasha Renee Perez, Assemblymember John Harabedian, and Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger — each presenting Scott with certificates of recognition. Chu singled out Scott, the Delawari family, and the army of volunteers who made the mural possible.

Nic Arnzen, chair of the Los Angeles County Parks commission and Altadena Town Council member, offered a note of perspective before the unveiling. “This is not our backyard,” he told the crowd gathered at the trailhead. “We are privileged to sit in the front yard of this beautiful mountain landscape.”

Finally, Scott gathered his wife Emma, their children, and his parents on stage — then gifted the mural to the community. “This is Altadena’s mural,” he said. “This is not mine anymore.”

The curtain fell. It took at least two minutes to fully drop the curtain on the mural, which ran nearly a hundred feet down along the wall along the mountain trail. The crowd cheered as each panel slowly fell, revealing more and more of the mural until the entire project shone brightly.

Gabrielino-Tongva dancers then danced in honor of the mural that honored them back.