International artists from Argentina, France and elsewhere will descend on a stretch of National City’s westside next month to paint overpass walls along the I-805 corridor, after the City Council approved a temporary use permit for the one-day event over the objection of the mayor.
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The “Meeting of Styles” festival, organized by Vision Culture Foundation and sponsored by Comic-Con, is scheduled for Sunday, July 19, at Wilson Avenue and 17th Street. Artists will paint cartoon-themed murals on overpass walls — consistent with Comic-Con’s guidelines — with public viewing on Wilson Avenue and artist-only access to the 19th Street wall area, controlled by private security.
The council voted 3-1 last month to approve the permit, with Vice Mayor Luz Molina and Councilmembers Marcus Bush and Ditas Yamane voting in support, while Mayor Ron Morrison voted no. Councilmember Jose Rodriguez was absent.
The approval came despite a list of unresolved items, including a Caltrans permit, finalized insurance verification, a hold-harmless agreement, and volunteer waivers, city staff said. Because the city has no meeting scheduled before the July 19 event, the council granted the city manager discretionary authority to cancel the permit if those conditions cannot be met.
Bush, appearing remotely, urged his colleagues not to let liability concerns overshadow the opportunity.
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“I’m not trying to dismiss any of the issues,” Bush said. “Let’s be more bold and do some different things that bring interest and excitement to National City.”
Morrison was unconvinced, saying the permit had too many unresolved issues.
Vision Culture Foundation has previously partnered with the city on a mural at the public works building. Representatives said all artists would sign waivers and that the public would not have access to the active construction zone below.
For the event, portions of 17th Street through Wilson Avenue and 18th Street from Wilson to McKinley will be closed, along with the northbound I-5 on-ramp, which will be shut down for the duration of the event to prevent unauthorized freeway access. Setup begins at 9 a.m., with cleanup wrapping up by 7 p.m. Traffic control will follow 2025 Caltrans standards, and nearby residents and businesses will be notified of the closures in advance.
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