Restoration Effort Begins After Iconic 'Moonscapes' Mural Wordlessly Scrubbed by Culver City DMV
It's not every day that an artwork painted over four decades ago sparks such a fiercely protective reaction from the community. Yet, that's exactly what's happened with the 'Moonscapes' mural, an astonishingly detailed retro-futuristic creation crafted by David Botello and Wayne Alaniz Healy. The mural, a sprawling 500-foot scene of space-bound motorcycles and sci-fi vistas, had adorned the walls of the Culver City DMV since 1979. However, in February 2025, the artwork was seemingly on the brink of disappearing into oblivion.
The incident that fanned flames of discontent started innocuously enough—DMV workers, they reported, intended only to erase graffiti and tackle decaying wood panels. Yet, in a case of bureaucracy gone wrong, three of the four walls became stark white, an action completed without any notification to the artists as required by the California Art Preservation Act. The fourth wall remained untouched, more by happenstance than design, as eager DMV-goers formed a human blockade in a rush to get inside.
An Overstep and an Outcry
David Botello expressed understandable frustration at the lack of communication from the DMV, which claimed to have sent letters to an outdated PO Box. “It’s not like I’m hard to find,” Botello remarked, pointing out the missed opportunities to contact him through governmental and artistic channels that certainly have all his current details. Failing to comply with the 90-day notice period for scheduled mural interventions, the DMV sparked outrage among locals who consider the 'Moonscapes' mural not just paint on a wall but a piece of the city’s cultural tapestry.
An immediate response came in the form of restoration efforts, spearheaded primarily by the Botello brothers. Leveraging cutting-edge technology, including a specialized gel from the University of Florence, the goal is to delicately strip away the white paint while preserving as much of the original mural as possible. Although currently dealing with a crushed vertebra, David Botello maintains an unyielding resolve to see the mural restored to its former glory, even planning to request financial reimbursement from the DMV for restoration expenses.
A Mural with a Message
Parts of the mural survived, including eco-friendly messages that resonate now more than ever. Phrases such as “It’s a smog day, don’t drive too much,” alongside a dashboard urging a switch to alternate energy sources, stand as testament to the mural’s enduring relevance. These past decades-old messages, ironically now buried beneath a layer of gloss, are now echoed in global conversations about sustainability and environmental conservation.
This avoidable oversight by the DMV has not only become a rallying point for art lovers but a lesson in the vigilance necessary to protect cultural landmarks. As with many issues today, it sparks discussions on how public agencies manage historical art and the importance of robust communication with artists. The 'Moonscapes' mural, through efforts that are now on full tilt, may very well experience a renaissance—piece by intricate piece.