All Photos By Gail

Artist Kenny Scharf rose to prominence in the 1980s New York art scene as part of a now-legendary group of artists including Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat, but he was born and raised in Los Angeles, and now makes southern California his home. If you also live in LA, or plan to visit, and you love art, then make a point to check out the Pasadena Museum of California Art (PMCA), which, as the name suggests, features exhibits exclusively by California artists, architects and designers. Although the museum’s exhibits change approximately every six months, there is one permanent exhibit by Kenny Scharf, which happens to be in the parking garage adjacent the building; the Kosmic Krylon Garage! Let’s take a look inside!

When You See This Face, You Have Arrived at the Kosmic Krylon Garage

In the summer of 2004, Kenny Scharf: California Grown opened at the PMCA as the Museum’s first tri-level exhibition, with paintings installed and a tape of The Groovenians — Scharf’s animated show for Cartoon Network — screening on the second floor, his bronze sculptures in the third-floor Founders’ Gallery, and the transformation of the PMCA garage into the Kosmic Krylon Garage.

After the exhibition closed, the colorful murals spray-painted by Scharf over the course of a week remained on the walls of the garage and continue as a permanent installation. The Kosmic Krylon Garage is on view during regular Museum hours. Parking in the garage is free of charge.

Check Out My Photos of Some of the Artwork Inside the Garage:

This Angry Mushroom Cloud covers most of the very rear wall of the garage.

The lot was almost full on the day of our visit, so I did not get many photos without cars in them, sorry!

If you remember Kenny’s Bowery Mural installation that went up in late  2010, you will recognize these little guys as being indicative of his signature characters.

Find out more about the Kosmic Krylon Garage at This Link!

Update: Sadly, as of late 2018, The Kosmic Krylon Garage is no More!