This massive graffiti crew is showing love for the man who brought them all together

BY MARIE EDINGER, KMPH

FRESNO, Calif. (CIRCA via KMPH) — A park got a makeover Saturday, and it was all to honor the graffiti artist Lord BIZR who passed away in 2013.

About 90 artists showed their skills at Fresno's Calwa Park, honoring Salvador Lujan—a graffiti artist originally from San Jose, California, who went by the name Lord BIZR68.

BIZR passed away six years ago, but each year his sister invites artists to the park to honor his memory.

"It is a healing process for me. I spend my time focusing on the life that he lived, and bringing the people together," said Serena Lujan, BIZR’s sister, who organizes the Bizare Art Festival. "So, when I actually see everything come together the way that it does—it’s amazing. It’s very touching."

Lord BIZR started his career in mural painting when he was just 17 years old, and formed a group called Lord’s Crew that now spans across the U.S. and the world.

The Bizare Art Festival brought many of the crew back to Fresno for the weekend.

"Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Arizona, Texas, Nevada, all up and down California, you have artists who have come here just to pay homage and show that they honor someone they consider a friend, or someone they looked up to,” said Lujan.

BIZR died of a heart attack while he was skateboarding in January 2013; he was just 44 years old. But the Lord’s Crew is celebrating 30 years of painting together.

"It’s a time for us to reminisce, to spend time, like, we feel him here," said Lujan.

The artists chose Calwa Park because it’s completely legal to spray paint on the wall there. The quarter-mile art wall is public property.

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