A Chance Meeting with Patrick Mohr

Patrick Mohr explaining the meaning of each panel

Cleaning the mosaic

Patrick Mohr, a Long Beach native and Wilson High School graduate, stopped by LGB earlier this Summer to give the mosaic he created "Bay of Smokes" a little TLC.

Created in 1986, "Bay of Smokes depicts several different eras throughout the history of Long Beach.  "Bay of Smokes" derives its title from an explorer name Juan Rodriquez Cabrillo in the 1500s, who observed smoke signals rising from atop the hill (now known as Signal Hill).

There are six panels that come together to form this mosaic. Panel 1 (photo below from left to right) represents native Chumash pictographic and painted images, that were once common in caves and rocks in Southern California. Panel 2 is a facsimile of the first map of San Pedro Bay made by the 1602 Don Sebastian Viscaino Expedition. Panel 3 shows the San Gabriel River system as it appeared in 1888. Panel 4 is a cross-section of the geographical stratification of Signal Hill showing the Inglewood Fault and Petroleum deposits. Panel 5 is late 18th and 19th century brands for livestock used by the local Manuel Nieto family on their land grant. Finally, panel 6 is an image of a DC3 airplane produced by Douglas Aircraft in Long Beach.

"Bay of Smokes" by Patrick Mohr

Mohr currently works at the Savannah School of Art at Savannah College of Art & Design and calls himself the carpetbagger of the Southeast . Mohr cleans his work sporadically and LGB appreciates the time he takes and the piece itself.

Located on the south side of the historic terminal, the Bay of Smokes, may be viewed by any person who visits Long Beach Airport.