ArtsBeatLA

New Mural honoring Dr. Dre

Pulling Paint Murals is a creative studio transforming LA’s walls into striking, hand-painted tributes to community, culture and identity. From neighborhood storefronts to state-recognized landmarks, their work merges public art and public memory, transforming everyday walls into cultural touchstones that hold space for identity, history, and community pride.

Pulling Paint Murals most recent project is a powerful legacy mural honoring Dr. Dre at Compton Unified School District’s new Arts Center.

Made possible by a generous donation from hip-hop icon Andre “Dr. Dre” Young, the 1,102-square-foot installation was executed by the Los Angeles-based art collective over three weeks, creating an inspirational piece for the 2,000+ students that will be attending the new high school in August. This is just one example of how Pulling Paint Murals co-founders David Kaul and Will Cassayd-Smith are using analog artistry to leave lasting impact across the city.

The project showcases Dr. Dre’s continued investment in his hometown community while establishing the Arts Center as a model for celebrity philanthropy in education.

“We are very honored to have the privilege to work on the mural for the Andre “Dr Dre” Young performing art center at the brand new Compton High.”

The Pulling Paint team.

What started over a decade ago as a creative outlet between two ad agency peers has evolved into one of LA’s most compelling, yet quietly understated purveyors of the arts.

The vision of longtime friends and collaborators, David Kaul (a former graffiti artist turned creative director) and Will Cassayd-Smith (with a background in brand management and production), Pulling Paint Murals bridges the worlds of analog artistry, brand-forward clarity and operational excellence to transform LA’s blank walls into bold, hand-painted statements. From large-scale murals to bespoke signage and typographic compositions, each body of work leaves behind an imprint etched in paint and rooted in place. Their impressive portfolio spans community-rooted murals and high-impact brand collaborations alike –  with partners including Parks ProjectRivian and Sneakertopia, as well as local organizations like The Whole ChildOptimist Youth Homes & Family Services’ L.O.L.A Clubhouse Highland Park and Whittier LGBTQ Center  (whose mural is now formally recognized by LA County and the California State Assembly).

At the core of Pulling Paint’s ethos is permanence – a conviction that public art shouldn’t just occupy space, but amplify it. Guided by a reverence for craft and creative context, the studio specializes in hand-painted visual interventions that bring stories to the surface—both literally and figuratively. What some see as mere walls, Pulling Paint interprets as possibility, a vessel to reclaim overlooked corners and reimagine them as touchstones of the city’s identity. They approach every wall – brick, stucco, or steel –  as a canvas with the potential to shift how people move through a space, feel within it, and connect to the world around them.

  • Each project begins in conversation with its surroundings—attuned to light, rhythm and atmosphere—and unfolds into something that feels woven into the fabric of the place itself.
  • Through close collaboration with urban planners, developers, small businesses and community leaders, Pulling Paint creates works of art that are built to belong: intentional, dimensional and grounded in the character of the communities it serves.
  • Whether driving foot traffic to local storefronts or turning murals into neighborhood gathering points, their work sparks connection and collective pride.

 

As part of their unwavering mission to elevate the analog in an increasingly digital world, Kaul and Cassayd-Smith’s handcrafted approach continues to offer something ever present and undeniably tangible. From the transitional housing site at The Whole Child, where the newly painted walls offered a sense of warmth, solace and inspiration to those soon to call it home, to the Whittier LGBTQ Center, a state-recognized beacon of community pride and progress – each Pulling Paint mural is a testament to the power of public art: beauty woven into the rhythm of everyday life and stories that belong to the people, imprinted into the heart of a city.

 

Pauline Adamek

Pauline Adamek is a Los Angeles-based arts enthusiast with over three decades of experience covering International Film Festivals and reviewing new Theatre productions, Film releases, Art exhibitions, Opera and Restaurants.

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