“Make Art Not War”
Painted June 2025
A first for Downtown San Rafael, the City has officially established a process for permitting public art—thanks to the leadership of the Downtown San Rafael Arts District (DSRAD), with support from Art Works Downtown and the broader community.
Funded by DSRAD, the inaugural mural project was made possible with Art Works Downtown offering its prominent street-facing wall, marking the beginning of a new era of artistic expression for San Rafael.
Make Art Not War
by Joey Rose and Alexandra Underwood
"In many ways, this mural is an evolution of the existing mural painted by Joey and Alexandra in 2020. The flannel bush in the first mural has evolved into a sequence of organic patterns. The patterns are filled with a wide breadth of abstracted plant shapes coexisting in harmony, representing how a successful ecosystem and community thrives with diversity & synergy. While the first mural was focused on resilience amidst of the pandemic, this new mural depicts a native ten-lined june beetle: a symbol of transformation, rebirth and healing.
"In the first mural, we paid tribute to Milton Glaser with the quote “Art is Work.” We’ve again incorporated a quote from one of the most prolific artists of our time. Shepard Fairy’s iconic 'Make Art, Not War' slogan was a remix of the 60’s slogan 'Make Love, Not War' and has been the motto of many important street artists as a way to protest the atrocities of war across the world."- Joey Rose and Alexandra Underwood
Downtown San Rafael Arts District
The Downtown San Rafael Arts District (DSRAD) collaborates with local arts leaders, businesses, city officials, and community members to create a vibrant and engaging environment that promotes well-being, equity, and inclusivity through the arts.
www.dsrad.org, www.caculturaldistricts.org/san-rafael
If Make Art Not War inspires you to want a mural in your life, Art Works Downtown recommends contacting Joey Rose and Alexandra Underwood as soon as possible.
Meet the muralists:
Muralists Joey Rose and Alexandra Underwood with Elisabeth Setten, Executive Director of Art Works Downtown
Joey Rose
Joey Rose is a freelance muralist, illustrator and painter located in Emeryville, California. He received his BFA in Illustration at California College of the Arts with distinction. Joey is a licensed painting Contractor, and has combined his technical abilities with his art practice to paint whimsical, magic-realist murals across the Bay Area, CA and Hawaii. Joey's murals are always site-specific and generally are inspired by the local environment and it's inhabitants.
www.joeyrosestudio.com
Instagram: @joeyrosestudio
Alexandra Underwood
Alexandra Underwood is an illustrator, designer, and muralist. Born and raised in Maui, Hawai'i, she is influenced heavily by the saturation and beauty of the world around her. Alexandra received her BFA in Illustration with high distinction at the California College of the Arts. After working as in house graphic artist and CMF developer, she is now a freelance illustrator and public artist. She is currently living in Emeryville, California.