‘An Artist’s Perspective’

Palisades Native Artist Marisa Murrow Shares Thoughts Following the Fire, Written at the End of January

By MARISA MURROW | Contributing Writer

As I look across mobile home parks, specifically in Pacific Palisades—rooftops, swaying palm trees, singing birds, dog walkers, waves crashing and the cheers of people braving the chilly waters—it encapsulates how I feel about where I come from.

It is the sense of community and simplicity, framed by an open view of the ocean, that has inspired my work for over two decades.

These tight-knit coastal communities, where people share common ground, feel deeply familiar. Growing up on Chautauqua with the neighborhood kids, we had keys to each other’s homes instead of walls. We swam in each other’s pools, sold lemonade on the corner and walked to school together.

Much like my formative years at Corpus Christi and Marymount High schools, where uniforms created a sense of sameness, I see parallels in the materials and shapes of these prefabricated structures. They echo my experience of unity and shared identity.

Someone once asked me, “If you are all dressed the same, how do you know who your friends are?” I have come to learn, that to truly know a place—or more importantly, a person—we must go inside.

Upon graduating from art school (RISD) I embarked on a trip around the world for 11 months with fellow Palisadian Christine Williams. It was the best decision I have ever made.

We filled our eyes and hearts with memories that continue to have a huge impact on the way I live. As our trip was coming to a close, I began to ask myself what do I want the people to know about where we come from. How can I make art about that?

I will forever cherish the years I spent working on site at one of the best art studios in Los Angeles—perched outside, overlooking this incredible beachfront property in the Palisades. These moments have defined my concept of home, a definition that remains forever captured in my painted images.

Someone recently asked me if any of my paintings were lost in the Palisades fires.

“Countless,” I said.

It never occurred to me at the time that I was capturing something ephemeral—places that, one day, might no longer exist.

But since the fires, my passion for painting has taken on a deeper meaning. My work has become more than just a reflection of California’s landscapes; it is a way of preserving memory, honoring what was lost and celebrating the resilience of those who called these places home.

The recent commissions I have received are acts of love. They are testaments to beauty, to impermanence and to the way art can tether us to the past.

One of my collectors, a friend, ran out of her home with only a handful of cherished belongings—including my painting. That act alone reaffirmed for me the power of art to hold significance beyond its physical form.

My heart goes out to everyone who has been affected by the fires throughout Los Angeles and beyond. Words cannot express how deeply saddened I am to see loss and destruction on this scale.

Murrow’s work—including Palisades landscapes—will be on display in a two-person exhibition at Adler/Smith Gallery in Santa Monica from April 5 to mid-May. For more information about the artist, visit marisamurrow.com.