Lee Strasberg Mural Unveiled in Los Angeles

In the summer of 2013, The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute in Los Angeles unveiled a stunning addition to its facade: a 10-by-15 foot handcrafted mosaic mural of its founder and namesake, Lee Strasberg.

David Lee Strasberg commissioned the mural in 2012, wanting the building’s exterior to reflect the school’s legacy and the artistry blossoming inside. He entrusted the project to award-winning tile and mosaic artist Michelle Griffoul, a classically trained potter with the creative eye of a painter.

The meticulous process of capturing Lee Strasberg’s likeness and personality took nearly a year. According to Stone World, Griffoul carefully studied photographs of Lee and ultimately drew inspiration from a watercolor portrait by James Paul Brown that had long hung in the acting school.

"To capture the feeling that his son remembers of his father was the real challenge,” Griffoul shares. “I made three different sets of eyes… The changes were very subtle close up, but from a distance they really communicated a different feeling. One was stern, one questioning and the one we settled on — magical.”

A true labor of love, the mural stands today as a lasting tribute to Lee Strasberg’s vision. It not only honors the man behind The Method but also symbolizes the Institute’s enduring mission: to inspire generations of artists to look deeper, feel more fully, and create with honesty and imagination.