Big Lou’s Hayward: Painting a City’s Soul

Big Lou’s Canvas of Community: How Art, Memory, and Hayward Intertwine

When Hayward artist Louis “Big Lou” Jiminez painted Hayward Nostalgic, he imagined it as a personal project. A love letter to the city that raised him. The piece is a vibrant pop-art style canvas, layering signs from Hayward’s past and present: beloved restaurants and mom-and-pop shops, familiar freeway markers, and community fixtures like the Hayward water tower.

What began as something deeply personal quickly became something bigger than himself. The painting struck a chord across Hayward, sparking pride and nostalgia in longtime residents and catching the eye of city leaders. Prints of Hayward Nostalgic now hang in homes across the city and in council members’ offices. Jiminez even partnered with local design and apparel company The Vatos Brand to bring the artwork to t-shirts and hoodies, further cementing it as a cultural touchstone.

Looking back, Jiminez says there are signs he would include if he had the chance to do it again. Casper’s Hot Dogs and the Mexican restaurant La Imperial, both longtime staples of Hayward’s dining scene, came to mind. Still, the piece already delivers a powerful message: that visual landmarks of a city are deeply tied to its identity.

Rooted in Hayward

Jiminez’s family has lived in Hayward for three generations, and though he was born in San Francisco, it’s Hayward he calls home. Art has always been a part of his life, but it wasn’t until recent years that it became something more than a pastime.

In 2021, he picked up a paintbrush with fresh focus and quickly realized how deeply art fueled him. But just as he was gaining momentum, his eyesight began to deteriorate. What started as minor blurriness progressed to the point where he could no longer drive, paint, or even recognize faces. In 2023, after months of uncertainty, he was diagnosed with keratoconus, a progressive eye disease.

The diagnosis forced him to step away from painting, leaving him unsure if he’d ever return to it. “I felt trapped,” he said. “I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to keep painting at all.” After two surgeries and the use of specialized hard-shell contact lenses, Jiminez regained his vision and with it, his resolve. The experience gave him clarity about what art meant in his life. 

“I made a promise to myself: if I could see again, I’d go all in on my art.” — Big Lou

Since then, Jiminez has developed a colorful, pop-art style that reflects both his personal journey and the city around him. “Art has truly saved me,” he said. “It’s given me purpose, connected me with incredible people, and filled my days with inspiration and gratitude.”

Today, Jiminez is a full-time artist, selling prints of his original works along with custom paintings. This July, he celebrated a major milestone with the grand opening of his own studio, LJ Custom Canvas. Located inside L’Arte Gallery at Stoneridge Mall in Pleasanton, the space provides both a dedicated place to create and a direct connection to the public. Jiminez has developed a strong relationship with gallery owner Henrik Mook and his partner, Teri Ku, regularly exhibiting and selling his work at L’Arte and at Mook Art Gallery in Milpitas.

“Having their support has been huge,” Jiminez said. “It’s one thing to make the art, but it’s another to have people believe in it enough to put it on their walls.”

The Hayward Art Scene — Promise and Possibility

For Jiminez, the Hayward art scene has offered both support and inspiration. He credits the Hayward Arts Council, and especially Executive Director Winda Shimizu, for consistently sharing opportunities that helped him connect with new projects and audiences. Those connections led to exhibitions at the library, City Hall, and themed shows that brought visibility to his work. He also points to Diane Curry and the Hayward Historical Society, whose HAHS Art Gallery has provided another welcoming stage for both his paintings and the broader local art community.

But as his career grows, Jiminez sees how much more is possible. A recent visit to Scottsdale, Arizona’s thriving arts district with dozens of galleries left him inspired. “Seeing that many galleries all in one place was eye-opening,” he said. “It made me think, why can’t Hayward have something like this?”

Closer to home, he points to Olive Hyde Gallery in Fremont as another example. The gallery is owned by the city but run by the nonprofit Olive Hyde Art Guild, which also sponsors art education in schools. “If Fremont can do that, Hayward can too,” Jiminez said. “We need more spaces where artists can gather, and where the city invests in making it happen.”

Hayward already has a living example in the Sun Gallery, a nonprofit that has been part of the city’s cultural fabric since 1976. Over the decades, it has hosted rotating exhibitions, youth art classes, and community events, often operating on a shoestring budget. The gallery nearly closed during the pandemic but adapted with virtual shows before returning to in-person exhibitions. Today, it continues to serve as both an educational hub and a creative gathering place for local artists. The Herald has reported on the gallery’s resilience, highlighting what the future holds when institutions and communities commit to the arts. 

Murals and Community Pride

One city program that has stood out, both for Jiminez and for many Hayward residents, is the Hayward Mural Program. Launched in 2009 under Mayor Michael Sweeney and City Manager Greg Jones, the initiative began as an anti-graffiti effort and has since transformed walls, benches, utility boxes, and even schools into canvases. With more than 45 murals and over 100 utility boxes painted or wrapped, the program not only beautifies neighborhoods but also saves the city tens of thousands in cleanup costs each year. In 2011, the program received the Helen Putnam Award for Excellence, making Hayward one of just 11 California cities honored that year.

For Jiminez, murals and public art are more than decoration; they're a mirror of how a community sees itself. He’s especially excited about the program’s plan to roll-out vinyl-wrapped utility boxes from local artists, and hopes to one day see his own work displayed on a box or wall in the city. “I think they’re doing a great job, but there’s always room for more,” he said. “Sometimes we drive past murals so fast we don’t really get to appreciate them. Imagine if there were even more spots where people could stop and take them in.”

That kind of investment, he believes, is what sets Hayward apart. While larger cities like Oakland and San Francisco often dominate the conversation about public art, Hayward has built a program that not only brightens neighborhoods but also addresses real challenges. According to the Hayward Police Department Crime Data Dashboard, vandalism remains one of the city’s top five crimes, with more than 400 reports since March 2025. Each mural or utility box, Jiminez says, is both prevention and pride, a way to replace graffiti with creativity and community expression. More than anything, he hopes that when people talk about Bay Area public art, they’ll think of Hayward alongside the region’s bigger cities. A recognition he carries with him into every canvas he paints.

Carrying Hayward Forward

As his career grows, Jiminez remains steadfast in representing Hayward wherever he goes. He primarily sells his work in the Bay Area, but he makes a point of showing up at local pop-ups, markets, and community events, keeping his roots visible in the city that shaped him. Traveling to other cities with more established art scenes is part of his plan too—not just to share his work, but to network, learn, and bring new energy back to Hayward.

For Jiminez, every painting is an act of representation. Hayward Nostalgic may have begun as a personal reflection, but it has become a mirror of the city’s collective memory and identity. Whether it’s a mural, a utility box, or a canvas, his hope is that people see Hayward in his art—and that the city itself earns the recognition it deserves.

This fall, he's inviting the community to take part in that vision. On Saturday, October 11, Jiminez will co-host a Halloween Art Show & Pop-Up Market alongside Blu Butterfly Events, transforming Craft Pizzeria and Sector 19 (22380 Foothill Blvd) into a vibrant art space. The event runs from 12 to 6 p.m. and features more than 20 local artists, vendors, a live DJ, arcade games, and more. Upstairs, the Hayward Area Historical Society will showcase a Day of the Dead exhibit, adding a cultural and historical layer to the celebration. The event is free, family-friendly, and a perfect opportunity to support local creatives and experience firsthand the kind of community connection that fuels Jiminez’s work.

“I’m always going to represent Hayward. That’s my main thing. I want people to know where I come from and for people here to see themselves in the art.” — Big Lou