Chasing Rainbows in Southern California

Painted in six colors bands of bright colors this lifeguard tower is easily spotted on the ecru sands of Venice Beach. It was originally meant as a very temporary makeover as the tower was scheduled to be painted back to its sky-blue color to match the other lifeguard towers along the beach. However, petitions and community support helped to keep this rainbow in place. 

Artist London Kaye decided to go a very unique route with her mural. Instead of using paint she adorned this Melrose Avenue wall with a rainbow made entirely of yarn and crocheted with her own hands. The mural is on the side of The Paper Bag Princess, a consignment shop for used couture clothing and accessories. The life of a yarn mural may not be as long as other mediums so see this one sooner rather th...

If some Culver City residents didn't know that the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz was filmed in Culver City, they will now. This massive, 94-foot high steel rainbow stretches proudly above Sony Pictures Entertainment (formerly MGM studios) making it the biggest, and cheeriest, art installment in the city.

Just a mile and a half away from La Mesa's Secret Stairs is another staircase, each riser painted a bright hue. This project was completed in 2018 by artist Magdalena Noriega. The bottom begins at Yale and Stanford, ascending to West Point. Nearby attractions within driving distance include Adobe Falls and Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala.

Cabrillo Blvd. in Santa Barbara is an ocean-view street known for its arts and crafts fair on Sundays. What better place to commemorate these artists? Herbert Bayer's giant rainbow arch design is showcased within the seaside Arco Circle. Unfortunately, Bayer died in 1985, a few years before the arch was constructed and erected. Paul Mills was the visionary behind the realization of Bayer's dream. (Submit...

This desert retreat is a rainbow splash of color against the tawny sand. Hosted by writer, filmmaker, and artist, Patrick, this property has a 3-bedroom house, an art studio, and an outdoor "cowboy pool" (a large metal tub). Bookings can be made on Airbnb for those who need to take a break from the city life. Passersby can see the house from the road but keep in mind that the driveway is only for private...

The focal point of Artist's Drive, this colorful spot in the 3.50-million-acre Death Valley National Park gets its vibrant hues from a mixture of oxidized metal in the soil. Continued chemical weathering and oxidation keep the rainbow tints from fading. The splash of color is located about 7 miles from the entry point of the drive (from Badwater Road).

A rainbow of colors seems to be cascading down the wall ending in a puddle on the ground. This is the wall mural that depicts an accident gone right - the loveliest mistake that could happen with cans of liquid hues. Even the two splotches which call to mind a painter with major anger issues give the mural a charming splash of color. By LA street artist RISK (aka Kelly Graval).

Originally named "Palm Desert Topiaries" when they were a part of the city's rotating collection, this colorful set of stacked geometric shapes are a rainbow-hued mirage in the middle of their new home in Pasadena. Perhaps the best description comes from the artist herself: "My colorful topiaries and their placement in the desert symbolize the human drive to influence nature in what are sometimes inhospi...

In the affluent seaside village of Laguna Beach an art festival is held for about nine weeks every summer. Just about every type of handcrafted art imaginable is displayed here from glasswork to photography. Handmade clothing to homemade food draw over 200,000 visitors a year. The perfect summer Mediterranean climate doesn't hurt either! It's about $10 to get in. The festival runs from around June to Sep...

In 2016, the Witch Creek Winery made space for a gourmet coffee bar. Owner Mayur Pavagadhi named his new cafe for Michael Summers' 2013 multi-hued mural of the tiger duo painted on the wall outside. While the mural itself is sublime, so is the coffee. The bar features a La Marzocco espresso machine and a Wilbur Curtis Seraphim - both of which add up to a tidy sum of at least $20K and guarantee that you w...

Characterized by geometrically perfect square swatches of color you are sure to find your favorite color somewhere in this mural. The brightly-hued multi-colored wall was painted by Roy McMakin and is sublime in its simplicity. In a way, this mural was a collaboration between numerous people as McMakin took his inspiration from the favorite colors they submitted to him. 

A few months after the original rainbow-painted lifeguard tower went up in flames under mysterious circumstances, the city of Long Beach just unveiled its replacement. Painted by the same lifeguards who did the first one, this colorful tower is a great photo opp when you're in the LBC.