Quick answers
- Who is SABER? A Los Angeles graffiti writer from Glendale, in the MSK and AWR crews and part of The Seventh Letter. He’s best known for a 1997 piece on the L.A. River that ran 250 by 55 feet.
- Is the L.A. River piece still there? No. The Army Corps of Engineers painted over it on Sept. 1, 2009, after 12 years.
- Where can you see graffiti in L.A. today? The Arts District in DTLA (around Traction Ave. and E. 3rd St.), the Venice Art Walls on weekends, and The Broad’s plaza when it hosts live-paint days. Addresses and map links are below.
- Did SABER just paint in DTLA? Yes. He painted live at The Broad on Oct. 24, 2026, and Mr B Baby painted there the next day.
Graffiti in Los Angeles mostly lives where nobody’s supposed to look: freeway signs, rooftops, train yards, the river. Most of it gets buffed within weeks. So it meant something when one of the city’s most famous writers set up on Bunker Hill on a Saturday in October, in front of a contemporary art museum, and painted for anyone who walked by.
That was SABER at The Broad’s free community day with L.A. TACO, Oct. 24 and 25, 2026. This guide covers who he is, what happened to his river piece, and where you can still see his work and graffiti in L.A. today.
Who is SABER?
SABER is Ryan Weston Shook, born in Glendale in 1976 and trained at the San Francisco Art Institute. He paints with MSK and AWR, two of L.A.’s best-known graffiti crews, and he’s part of The Seventh Letter, the art and apparel collective that came out of those crews. His letters are dense and layered, closer to an explosion than a tag. You’ll recognize them once you’ve seen a few.
He has also spent years arguing with the city. In 2009 he made a video of an American flag covered in health-care graffiti for a Democratic National Committee contest, and it made national news. In September 2011, with the city’s mural moratorium still in place, he hired five skywriting planes to write “Art Is Not A Crime” and “End Mural Moratorium” over downtown. He told KCET he paid for most of it himself, with help from other artists including Shepard Fairey.
His own site is saberone.com, and he posts as @saberawr.
SABER’s L.A. River piece: 250 feet, 97 gallons, 12 years
In 1997, SABER painted his name on the sloped concrete bank of the Los Angeles River. It measured 250 by 55 feet. The Broad’s bio says the piece took more than a year. The Sticker Museum’s bio says it took 97 gallons of paint over 35 nights, and it has been called the largest graffiti painting ever made.
It stayed up for 12 years, long enough to become a landmark for anyone who knew where to look. The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County even rebuilt it in a river diorama for a 2004 exhibit. On Sept. 1, 2009, the Army Corps of Engineers painted over it during a cleanup of the river channel that also covered tens of thousands of other tags.
SABER didn’t sound surprised. “If you paint it outdoors, it will be gone,” he told Arrested Motion in 2010.
What happened at The Broad (Oct. 24 and 25, 2026)
The Broad and L.A. TACO turned East West Bank Plaza, next to the museum at 221 S. Grand Ave., into a free two-day block party. SABER painted on Saturday and Mr B Baby on Sunday. Saturday was also the 10th anniversary of Grand Avenue Arts: All Access, when the institutions along Grand open their doors for free.
According to L.A. TACO’s photo essay, hundreds of people came through. There was carne asada from Tire Shop Taquería and Tacos Royale, tamales from At Bev Tamales, pizza from LaSorted’s, and a beer garden from Homage Brewing. SprayDay ran spray workshops with water-based paint, and there was a community wall anyone could hit. The Broad’s rules for the workshop warned that other painters might cover your work, which is about the most honest thing a museum has ever printed about graffiti.
In 2023, when a fashion brand’s ad went up over his Arts District mural, SABER wrote that it was “the last big piece I was able to work on since my seizures worsened.” That made watching him paint live on Grand Avenue in October a bigger deal than the event listing let on.
Who is Mr B Baby?
Mr B Baby is muralist Michelle Guerrero. She’s Mexican American and Puerto Rican, grew up in Chula Vista, and now paints all over L.A. The Broad describes her style as Mexican folk art crossed with children’s books. Expect big, bright figures, flowers and storybook color. Her own site says she’s done more than 200 large-scale murals, including “Sí Se Puede” for El Pollo Loco in Boyle Heights.
Her newest public piece is “El Mar Recibe Todos los Ríos” (“the sea welcomes all rivers”), painted in September 2026 with Rare Beauty for Latine Heritage Month. It’s on the front of Las Fotos Project, a free community photo studio in Boyle Heights. She’s @mrbbaby on Instagram.
Where to see SABER’s work and graffiti in Los Angeles now
Walls change constantly, so treat this as a starting point and check the maps before you go.
1. SABER and Zes mural, Arts District. Santa Fe Ave. and E. 7th St., DTLA (map). SABER and Zes painted this legal, building-length piece in 2015 as a tribute to 20 years of L.A. graffiti (Hypebeast has the video). A fashion ad partly covered it in November 2023, and we haven’t confirmed how much is visible now. If you go, send us a photo.
2. Arts District murals. Around Traction Ave. and E. 3rd St., DTLA (map). This is the densest stretch of street art in downtown, and it’s free from the sidewalk. Give it an hour or two. The LA Arts District mural map and FindMASA, which tracks murals by artist, show what’s up right now.
3. Venice Art Walls. 1800 Ocean Front Walk, Venice (map). These are L.A.’s legal graffiti walls, and they’re the best place to watch writers work. Painting runs Saturday and Sunday, 10 AM to 5 PM, first come first served, with a free permit from the Venice Art Walls staff. You have to be 18 or older to use spray paint, and the walls are closed on federal holidays.
4. Mr B Baby at Las Fotos Project. 2210 E. Cesar E. Chavez Ave., Boyle Heights (map). Public viewing is Wednesday and Thursday, 11 AM to 4 PM, and Saturday after 12:30 PM by appointment. While you’re on the Eastside, see what’s on at Lodge Room, Zebulon and 2220 Arts.
5. The Broad. 221 S. Grand Ave., DTLA (map). General admission is always free. It’s open Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 11 AM to 5 PM, Thursday 11 AM to 8 PM, and Saturday and Sunday 10 AM to 6 PM, and closed Mondays. Kusama’s Infinity Mirrored Room needs a separate ticket. Keep an eye on The Broad’s events page for the next plaza day. The next one we know of is LA NDN Flea, a Native market, on Nov. 7 and 8.
6. Gallery Row after dark. Spring and Main streets, Historic Core (map). The Downtown Art Walk is listed for the second Thursday of the month, 6 to 10 PM, and the next date is Thu., Nov. 12. The organizers say the event is still finding its feet after Covid, so check the Downtown Art Walk site first. Afterward, go drink in a DTLA speakeasy behind a bank vault or find 2 AM al pastor.
7. The L.A. River. SABER’s piece is gone, but this is still where a lot of L.A. graffiti history happened. Look from the bridges and paths, not the channel. It’s a flood-control channel and it floods fast.
If you’re downtown before Nov. 2, the Día de los Muertos altars at Grand Park are a short walk down the hill from The Broad.
Street etiquette
Photograph the walls, but ask before you photograph or post a writer. Don’t geotag a spot unless it’s a public, listed wall. If you want to paint, take a workshop like SprayDay’s or get a permit at the Venice Art Walls. Painting someone’s building without permission is vandalism in California, and the fines are real. For more of L.A.’s street culture, from bike gangs to backyard venues, see Midnight Ridazz and the World Naked Bike Ride and our Arts & Street Culture section.
FAQ
Who is SABER the graffiti artist?
SABER is Ryan Weston Shook, a Los Angeles graffiti writer born in Glendale in 1976. He paints with the MSK and AWR crews and is part of The Seventh Letter. He’s best known for his 1997 L.A. River piece, which measured 250 by 55 feet.
Is SABER’s L.A. River graffiti still there?
No. It stayed up for 12 years before the Army Corps of Engineers painted over it on Sept. 1, 2009, during a cleanup of the river channel.
What is the largest graffiti piece in Los Angeles?
SABER’s 1997 L.A. River piece is the best-known answer. It covered 250 by 55 feet, used 97 gallons of paint and has been called the largest graffiti painting ever. It was buffed in 2009.
Where can I see graffiti in Los Angeles for free?
Start with the Arts District around Traction Ave. and E. 3rd St. in DTLA, then the Venice Art Walls at 1800 Ocean Front Walk on weekends. The LA Arts District mural map and FindMASA show current walls.
Where can you legally graffiti in Los Angeles?
The Venice Art Walls at 1800 Ocean Front Walk. Painting is allowed Saturday and Sunday, 10 AM to 5 PM, with a free permit, and you must be 18 or older to use spray paint. Anywhere else, you need the property owner’s permission.
Who is Mr B Baby?
Mr B Baby is Michelle Guerrero, a Mexican American and Puerto Rican muralist who grew up in Chula Vista. Her newest public mural, “El Mar Recibe Todos los Ríos,” is at Las Fotos Project, 2210 E. Cesar E. Chavez Ave. in Boyle Heights.
Is The Broad free?
Yes. General admission is always free, and walk-ups are welcome. Kusama’s Infinity Mirrored Room is ticketed separately, and the museum is closed Mondays.
Where do I park near The Broad?
Use the garage under the museum, entered from 2nd St. off Grand Ave. With museum validation it’s $19 for three hours, plus $7 for each extra 15 minutes, up to $29 for the day. After 5 PM on weeknights and all day on weekends it’s a $19 flat rate. Bike parking on level P1 is free.
Event recap and vendor list: L.A. TACO. Event details: The Broad. Photos are credited under each image. Tag us in your wall photos: @antitouristla.
By Nick Alan