These murals come to life with augmented reality at the Miramar Cultural Center
The Miramar Cultural Center is featuring a first-of-its-kind mural experience in its botanical garden to kick off Artober.
Hollywood-based artist Ktano is MCC’s 2026-27 featured artist for Windows to Our World. Ktano painted four murals of inspirational figures in history: C.L.R. James, Antonia Pantoja, Mary Burnham and Muhammad Ali.
According to the city, Miramar’s Artober “spotlights local and notable talent and encourages audiences to experience the arts in new and engaging ways.”
For the first time, the murals will feature an augmented reality experience — the murals will come to life through the viewers’ phones.
Once the QR code next to the murals is scanned, the paintings start to move and change.
“The creative process that we did for this art is with spray paint with a vintage touch that gives a little bit of classic style,” Ktano said in an MCC promotional video. “The idea is to maintain this style and create the memory of those who have impacted history like these four characters who are here today.”
C.L.R. James was a Trinidadian writer, Marxist and Pan-Africanist. He is regarded as one of the Caribbean’s most influential voices, with writings on the Haitian Revolution and other anti-colonial movements. His painting features a typewriter that starts to shoot papers out of its top.
Antonia Pantoja was the founder of ASPIRA, a national organization that empowered Puerto Rican teenagers and advocated for change. She championed the right to a bilingual education in the U.S. and became the first Puerto Rican woman awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Her mural features a bird that flies to and from her lap.
Mary Burnham is a marine biologist who has transformed global conservation efforts through her groundbreaking work in coral reef restoration. Concerns about ecosystems affected by climate change led to her innovative techniques that helped revive damaged coral reefs and coasts. Burnham’s mural features a swimming whale.
Muhammad Ali, the famous boxer and Black history icon, was a three-time heavyweight champion and was stripped of his titles after refusing to fight in the Vietnam War. He challenged segregation, white supremacy and racism and inspired millions. His mural features his signature butterflies fluttering around him.
Check out more of Ktano’s work on Instagram or on his website.
This story was originally published October 15, 2025 at 2:03 PM.
