Dennis McGonagle began working on the 1,200-square foot mural in November 2006, depicting the history of Whittier. The mural was painted on two exterior walls of the Whittier Museum. This was the largest undertaking yet for the artist, whose career in mural painting began with an impressionistic scene on the back of his mother's home in Norwalk in 1976.

The mural focuses on the first 100 years of the City of Whittier, and includes portraits of such legendary Whittier figures, like Pio Pico, Jonathan and Rebecca Bailey, and Harriet Russell Strong. Also depicted are the Four Bricks, the first commercial buildings in Whittier, rendered in a pastoral landscape framed by the Whittier Hills.

McGonagle studied mural painting at Rio Hondo College with Jerry Romotsky. He earned a bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts at Whittier College and later graduated from Cal State Long Beach with an MFA in painting. McGonagle is known for painting vivid urban landscapes, and the Whittier Museum's mural exemplifies his style. One section features a bright red 1954 Chevrolet driving down Beverly Boulevard and appears to emerge from the wall. "I wanted something prominent and attention-grabbing for the drive-by-traffic", McGonagle explained.

How to access the upper reaches of the Museum's forty-foot high walls initially posed a problem for McGonagle, who ultimately chose to rent a platform lift called a Knuckleboom. "The Knuckleboom is perfect", McGonagle said, "It's like a magic carpet ready to transport me to any corner of the wall."

Assisting on the project was Tyler Kinnaman, who was a student of McGonagle's in a youth painting class at Whittier College in 1987. "I couldn't ask for a better assistant", McGonagle said. "The way we were working, we will definitely be finished by our scheduled completion date of December 15th."

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dennismcgonagle@hotmail.com

My name is Tyler Kinnaman, I am a tattoo artist born and raised in Whittier, CA. I started to draw as soon as I was able to hold a pencil. My mother and Godmother, Jeanette Kelley, encouraged me to pursue my creativity by providing me with supplies and enrolling me in a variety of art classes. I was introduced to Dennis McGonagle at the age of nine, where I studied under him at Whittier College. I graduated from Whittier High School in 1998, then attended Long Beach State, Rio Hondo and Fullerton College where I took various drawing classes. I paint mostly abstract with oil on canvas. I have just recently found I also enjoy painting with acrylic. In January of 2003, I found my true passion and began pursuing a career as a tattoo artist. I apprenticed under Sal Gomez learning basic technique and application. I worked for two years in Hollywood, CA and am currently getting re-acclimated to the art to tattooing from the crew at Trigger Happy Tattoo in La Habra, CA.