How artist Maxx242 turned a blank wall at Crenshaw Imperial Plaza into a community landmark.
Maxx242 (Maxx Gramajo) knew he was an artist before he knew much of anything else. “I found it at a very early age,” he says. “I knew from the beginning that I was gonna make marks for the rest of my life.”
Those marks have led him across Southern California, creating murals for NewMark Merrill shopping centers over several years. His latest work brought him back to Crenshaw Imperial Plaza, where he repainted a 20-foot-wide community mural, prominently displayed next to Planet Fitness.
The mural contains the word COMMUNITY, and within each of those nine letters, the Southern California artist painted his philosophy about how it shows up in people’s lives. “I began defining the word through every letter,” he explains.
- C – Crenshaw Imperial Plaza
- O – Outstandingly Beautiful
- M – Magnificent
- M – Marvelous
- U – United
- N – Never Surrender
- I – Intelligent, Inspired
- T – Together
- Y – You Are Awesome
The concept works because Maxx knows his audience. Crenshaw Imperial Plaza buzzes with foot traffic all day — families loading groceries, teens meeting up after school, kids biking through the parking lot. Maxx painted knowing these people would walk past his wall dozens of times.
His approach aligns perfectly with NewMark Merrill’s community art philosophy. The company has commissioned over 35 murals across 28 communities in three states, transforming shopping centers into unexpected places where imagination can thrive.
“We believe art inspires hope, pride and connection, especially in areas where access is limited,” says Edie Trott, Senior Marketing Director at NewMark Merrill. “These vibrant works transform blank walls into sources of joy and possibility, encouraging all who see them to dream beyond barriers.”
Maxx embodies that mission through his public painting process. He deliberately works in full view because he wants young people to watch him create something real with his hands. In a world of digital filters and AI-generated content, seeing someone make marks on a wall proves creative careers still exist.
“People get to see there’s an actual hand touch, that there’s an actual human behind it,” Maxx says. “Any youth of this community gets to see that and say, hey, if I want to be an artist, I can be an artist.” His multi-year partnership with NewMark Merrill has made that kind of community-focused work possible across multiple locations.
“I am only able to do this because of NewMark Merrill Company and Crenshaw Imperial Plaza believing in me,” Maxx says. That trust has translated into creative freedom to make something that would serve communities rather than just decorate walls.
The real test came after Maxx finished painting. Would people engage with the mural or just walk past? The answer showed up almost immediately. Visitors started taking photos with the wall, pointing out letters to friends and making the mural part of their own stories.
“You actually get to see people interacting with it and taking pictures and standing in front of it,” Maxx says. “That’s when I’m just super thankful to do what I do.”
Maxx has been making marks his whole life. Through his ongoing work with NewMark Merrill, those marks have become something bigger — places where community members can see themselves reflected and where young artists can see proof that creative work is real work.
The mural at Crenshaw Imperial Plaza stands as evidence that when property owners believe in artists and artists believe in communities, the result is something that belongs to everyone who encounters it — which was always the point.
“The pieces I have had the honor of creating alongside NewMark Merrill — these were the messages for and by our communities,” Maxx says. “It’s our story.”