Artist Jason Esquivel, a Fresno Unified art instructor, is the creative force behind a new mural at Amazon's FAT1 facility in Fresno. Photo via Jason Esquivel

A Fresno muralist recently had his work installed in the warehouse of a major global company.

The Amazon FAT1 warehouse in Fresno now displays the work of muralist of Jason Esquivel, whose work can be seen all over Fresno and elsewhere in the Central Valley.

Esquivel, an art instructor for Fresno Unified School District’s afterschool programs, is a Fresno native who has been creating art for the last 15 years.

The mural at the Amazon warehouse is a photograph composite mural printed on vinyl depicting various city landmarks including Warnors Theater, the Fresno Water Tower and the Fresno “Best Little City in the U.S.A.” sign on Van Ness Avenue.

 

Amazon reached out to Esquivel in November 2023, and he submitted five different designs, with the current mural being selected in December.

In January he found a vendor to print out the mural on vinyl. It took the vendor about four months to install the vinyl piece.

The mural was fully installed in early June.

Esquivel said Amazon wanted an image that was “all Fresno,” and he relied on his experience of growing up in the Central Valley for inspiration.

“Living in the city and working in Fresno, with all the famous landmarks that we have here, and our everyday city life—Tower District, Downtown, the Fair—it all inspired me,” Esquivel said.

Esquivel said that the general manager at the warehouse told him he was blown away by the mural and that corporate Amazon employees have visited and praised his work.

He said that Amazon had a major focus in getting local artists to create the mural.

Danielle Amezola, PR manager for Amazon in California, said the company is always looking for ways to celebrate the local communities where employees live and work.

 

She said the mural represents Amazon’s commitment to be part of the communities they operate in.

“For our employees, many who are Fresno locals themselves, the mural is a daily reminder to take pride in their hometown and its traditions,” Amezola said. “We hope it inspires them and visitors alike to appreciate the unique culture of this region,”

She said the team was inspired by Esquivel’s work that depicts the region’s rich cultural diversity and agricultural heritage.

Esquivel’s murals are not hard to find around town.

Esquivel painted The Beatles Mural in the alley behind the KYNO building, the Einstein Mural behind Kepler Neighborhood School, and has painted over 55 murals for schools in the Fresno Unified School District.

He also does murals for local businesses, including the murals of celebrities inside Kocky’s Restaurant, the inside of the now-closed Take 3 burger restaurant, inside Marlo’s Nightclub and Mezcal Lounge.

Esquivel it was very humbling and rewarding to be chosen to create the mural for a company like Amazon, and he said that they want more work from him in the future.

“I’m very happy to be here and to be able to do this,” Esquivel said.