Kiwanis to mark 100th Birthday With Mural Unveiling on Jan 10

A celebration of community service and local history converges on January 10 when the Hermosa Beach Kiwanis Club unveils a restored mural at 11 Pier Avenue. A ceremony in the Vista/Mermaid parking lot at 10.30 a.m. will honor both the club's 100 years of service and the return of an important piece of public art.

The mural first appeared in 2007 as part of Hermosa Beach's own centennial celebration. Created by artists Neal and Dawn Von Flue, it chronicles the city's evolution through roughly 100 images—beginning with indigenous inhabitants and continuing through to contemporary beach culture.

Nearly two decades of coastal weather conditions degraded the original artwork, prompting the restoration effort led by Kiwanis lieutenant governor Rick Koenig and volunteer Chris Miller. Dawn Whitney-Hall (formerly Von Flue), one of the original artists, designed the updated version.

The new installation comprises ten 4-by-8-foot panels totaling 40 feet in length. Whitney-Hall shared on social media that the project occupied much of her previous year's work.

“It’s a special day when we get to celebrate both the rededication of our Centennial Mural and the Hermosa Kiwanis Club’s century of service,” said Mayor Rob Saemann. “As both the Mayor of Hermosa and President of our Kiwanis Club, I’m especially proud to see Hermosa’s residents and Kiwanis members come together to celebrate their respective beginnings. Our City has always been deeply connected to Kiwanis, and we remain united in our shared goal of improving Hermosa Beach for today’s residents and future generations.”

“For more than a century, Hermosa Beach has been shaped not only by our beautiful coastline, but by the people who care deeply about this community,” said Kiwanis Lieutenant Governor and event producer Rick Koenig. “This Mural represents decades of work by community partners, volunteers and donors. Its renewal is a fitting way to celebrate 118 years of Hermosa’s history and a century of Kiwanis Club service, while reaffirming our shared commitment to preserving Hermosa’s history for years to come.”

Koenig is tight-lipped about the new additions to the mural, but promises some surprises. At a recent private preview for community donors to the project, photographs of the mural were strictly forbidden.

The Kiwanis Club has operated in Hermosa Beach since 1926, funding youth programs, educational initiatives, and community projects. The organization helped finance the original 2007 mural through private donations and has undertaken the same fundraising approach for this restoration.