FranCisco Vargas spent the better part of six months in 2014 completing the Fresno Mural Stamp. File photo

Fresno’s most Instagram-ready mural — a 4,250 square-foot history lesson and focal point for downtown life — is turning 10.

On the morning of June 7, 2014, muralist FranCisco Vargas unveiled the Fresno Stamp Mural at 1315 Van Ness Ave., the home of The Business Journal. Measuring 35 feet by 125 feet, the mural has become a popular backdrop for selfies, graduation pictures, car glamour shots and music videos.

It may be one of most accessible and utilized pieces of public art in town, with the word “Fresno” spelled in letters 10-feet-tall leaving no doubt about the subject matter.

“More than other murals, you want to have yourself in front of it,” said Elliott Balch, president and CEO of the Downtown Fresno Partnership, which originally commissioned the work.  “It’s a caption for the picture.”

Kyle Lowe, operations manager for CMAC (Community Media Access Collaborative) in Downtown Fresno, discussed what makes the mural a filming magnet. For one thing, it faces northwest, meaning it’s not as susceptible to sun damage and is usually shaded for people wishing to film.

“It’s a great location to set the scene for Downtown Fresno,” Lowe said. “As soon as you see it, you know where you are.”

The scenes within each letter are like a time capsule telling Fresnans who we are, what we have done and where we are going. It’s an aspirational piece of art — California high-speed rail and Fresno’s aquarium are both featured, but haven’t happened quite yet.

You can still learn something new about the mural even if you have the privilege of parking under it every day like I do. 

You know the song “Come and Get Your Love” by the band Redbone, featured in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” movie in 2014? Founding brothers Pat and Lolly Vegas grew up in Fresno. They’re depicted in Native American garb in the mural, holding a red bone and staring down at passersby from the letter “N.”

Vargas, the traveling sign maker turned muralist, died of Hodgkin’s lymphoma a year after the mural was unveiled. He was a big music fan who listened to oldies on a radio as he worked. His work his highly regarded throughout the Valley and the U.S.

Of course, folks going south on Van Ness Avenue have such a great look at the mural because it’s next to a parking lot. But that’s going to change with plans to build multi-story affordable housing. 

For more information about the mural and the 10-year anniversary, check out The Business Journal’s social media and our Friday print edition.