Broad crosswalk brings art to the streets in DTLA

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The intersection at 2nd and Grand in downtown Los Angeles sprang to life over the Labor Day weekend, commissioned by the Broad Museum.

It's the design of Venezuelan-born artist Carlos Cruz-Diez.

Cruz-Diez has been designing crosswalks since the 70s, but this is his biggest and the first on the West Coast.

Passersby stopped to admire the work. "I think it looks cool. Makes my favorite corner of LA prettier than usual," said Aline Guerrero.

Students from Cortines High School nearby did a lot of the painting into the wee hours over the weekend. It was a hands-on look at the work of a master of kinetic optical art.

And while Cruz-Diez is in his 90s and could not travel here, another famous Venezulan helped out-Los Angeles Philharmonic Maestro Gustavo Dudamel and his son.

Time-lapse video gives a better look at the undertaking, which is the Broad's participation in a huge Getty project called "Pacific Standard Time, LA/LA, Latin American Art in Los Angeles."

Cruz-Diez used images to create an overlay of his design.

To see the art while walking in the crosswalks is to become a part of it.

"It was an opportunity to open up Grand Avenue for people to see artwork on the street that talks to the street and be seen from inside the museum," said Ed Schad, associate curator at the Broad.

These are crosswalks in a very busy LA intersection where most of the drivers will pass through unaware they are riding over a work of art.

Even if there's very little wear and tear, the artwork up until January.