Bringing the Voice of the People to Life: Community Murals for LA's World Cup Celebrations

As someone originally from Italy, soccer has always been a huge part of my life. So when I first learned that the FIFA World Cup would be hosted in the United States, I was beyond excited. This summer has been a dream come true, spending days watching the sport I love most, surrounded by passionate fans from all over the world.

What made this experience even more special was the opportunity to contribute creatively to the celebrations happening across Los Angeles.

Inkforma partnered with the City of Los Angeles on the Kick It in the Park program, a series of free community watch parties held in public parks throughout the city. These events brought together Angelenos from all walks of life to celebrate the beautiful game. Alongside giant screens broadcasting matches for hundreds of spectators, the parks were filled with live music, local artists, food trucks, vendors, and family-friendly activities that created a true festival atmosphere.

As part of this initiative, I was invited to design and facilitate one of the community activations: a series of Community Murals created through live illustration.

The City wanted to engage residents in a conversation about the future. With the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games rapidly approaching, organizers were interested in hearing directly from community members:

"What is your hope for LA community celebrations in 2028?"

The goal was simple but important: make sure the voices of residents are heard. As Los Angeles continues to host major international sporting events, how can the city create celebrations that are inclusive, equitable, and accessible to everyone, not just those who can afford a ticket inside the stadium?

To capture these ideas, I created four large-scale community murals across four different Kick It in the Park locations:

• Whitsett Sports Field

• Echo Park

• Jesse Owens / Harvard Recreation Center

• Westwood Recreation Center (for the Final)

At each event, we watched matches, celebrated goals, shared stories, asked questions, and most importantly: drew together.

Using graphic recording techniques, I transformed participants' comments and ideas into colorful illustrations in real time. Through live visual note-taking, community feedback evolved into interconnected drawings that covered 4-by-8-foot mural boards. Every sketch, icon, and illustration represented a resident's vision for the future of Los Angeles.

Some participants hoped for more free community events. Others wanted greater accessibility, more cultural programming, safer public spaces, expanded youth activities, and opportunities for neighborhoods to come together across cultural and economic differences. Through sketch-notes, these ideas became visible and tangible.

One of the most powerful aspects of graphic recording is its ability to turn conversations into something everyone can see, understand, and contribute to. The murals became living documents of community aspirations, a visual representation of what residents want from future citywide celebrations.

Over the course of four events, hundreds of voices contributed to these collaborative artworks. By the final match in Westwood, each mural had become a vibrant tapestry of hopes, ideas, and dreams for Los Angeles.

As a graphic recorder and visual practitioner, projects like this remind me why I love this work. Live illustration is more than a creative tool, it is a way to build connection, encourage participation, and ensure that every voice has the opportunity to be seen.

Thank you to the City of Los Angeles, the Kick It in the Park team, and everyone who stopped by to share their thoughts, stories, and drawings. It was truly one of my favorite projects I have ever had the pleasure of working on.

The World Cup brought people together through sport. These community murals helped capture what comes next.

And if the ideas shared across these four parks are any indication, Los Angeles is ready to create unforgettable community celebrations for everyone in 2028.