Mayor Bob Bartlett Memorial

This memorial to Robert “Bob” Bartlett welcomes travelers like you, people who benefit from the fruits of his long-lasting labors, to the Monrovia Gold Line Station. These panels pay homage to Bob’s ambition for the city’s growth while humbly maintaining Monrovia’s rich cultural history. Reflecting his earnest compassion for everyone at every place in his community, his memorial turns to face all directions at this station.
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Title: Mayor Bob Bartlett Memorial
Size: 6 x 9 x 5 feet
Medium: CorTen Steel and Mosaic: Smalti, 24 karat gold Smalti, marble, Cristallino, Millefiori, iridescent tile, and grout.
Mosaic Technique: Byzantine indirect technique
 Location: Gold Line Station Square: 1651 S. Primrose Ave. Monrovia, CA
Or
Station Square Park: 1629 S. ​Myrtle Ave. Monrovia, CA
Year: February 25, 2018

Spectrum TV, Channel 1 with Rayann Blackshere Vargas

 This sculptural mosaic rises from the earth across the plaza at the Monrovia Gold Line station, welcoming and bidding farewell to the travelers who benefit from the fruits of his long-lasting labors each and every day...echoing the intersection between Monrovia’s old and new.
The CorTen steel panels pay homage to Bob’s ambition for the city’s growth while humbly maintaining its rich cultural history.
The angled panels are oriented for viewing from every angle along the station, reflecting Bob’s earnest interest for everyone, everywhere in his community.
Secured to the panels are five separate mosaics, each commemorating significant chapters in the Bob Bartlett story:
​The Mayor sits in the center, in the heart of the city
Old Town Monrovia: The entrance, the preservation, and revitalization of Old Monrovia
Equity: The equality and inclusiveness he represented
The Bus: The Major role in the development of the Foothill Transit
All-America City: Monrovia’s selection as an All-America City under his leadership.
​All mosaics were made with smalti Italian and Mexican glass, combined with other tiles. They were made with the Byzantine indirect technique which will make them forever pieces. These colorful mosaics will never fade, while the Corten steel which supports them only ages more beautifully with time.

This memorial honored the legacy of former Monrovia Mayor Bob Bartlett, who was elected as the first African American to serve on the Monrovia City Council in 1974.