For many people in Santa Barbara and around the world, Danny Meza was their first.

The first person to tattoo them with his wonderful works of art.

For Rollie Alonzo, it was a set of praying hands on his back that reminded him of his grandfather.

For Amy Cisneros it was the word “faith” on her forearm, which was inspired by her mother.

For Annette Unzueta, it was butterfly, symbolic of her grandmother.

Over the years, they would all come back for more tattoos. They loved Meza’s work, and more importantly, they loved him and his spirit.

So, when the news spread a week ago that Meza had died suddenly in San Diego, the Santa Barbara community, where he was raised, was devastated. Monday night, about 200 people gathered at the corner of Haley and De la Vina streets, at the site of one of his iconic murals, to celebrate the life of Meza, who was 35.

Meza died a week ago in San Diego, but his work lives forever on the bodies of people all over the world, and especially here in Santa Barbara.

“He was the nicest, funniest, down-to-Earth, caring person,” Alonzo said. “Everyone wanted to get tattooed by Danny. He was one of the best around.”

The gathering was held across the street from Brownie’s Market, the sight of a mural of a black and white hand clasped together, along with a quote from Nelson Mandela. The mural went up after the murder of George Floyd in 2020.

A dozen people spoke Monday night to share their memories of Meza, a local kid who went to Harding Elementary School. The gathering was originally set for in front of his mural, but was so large that it was moved across the street to the corner.

People shared heartfelt memories based on a person they knew and trusted. Some of the speakers to the crowd and in interviews wept when talking about Meza, and how they will miss him.

Michael Montenegro, owner of the Instagram page @chicanoculturesb, led the event and fought back tears at times. People held candles in Meza’s honor, and then set them down against the wall, under his mural.

The crowd who showed up on Monday represented an authentic part of Santa Barbara. These were locals, who grew up cruising in cars, riding bikes, knowing the streets in a way that no textbook could teach. They shared memories of listening to music with Meza — punk, hip hop and metal — eating and drinking on late nights and bonding over experiences they lived, not observed.

“There wasn’t a moment I didn’t laugh when he was around,” said Martin Diaz, a friend and artist. “We’re going to miss Danny, how he made you feel, really comfortable, really warm, amazing talented, a very unique human being.”

His work is everywhere. About half the crowd on Monday raised their hands when asked how many people had a tattoo by Meza. He free-handed pieces and used stencils, and his clients said his work was immaculate, which kept them coming back for more.

He also did murals, including the one at Brownie’s Market, which was requested by the owner. His work can also be seen at the Westside Boys & Girls Club, Harding Elementary School, and parks on the Eastside and Westside. People in the crowd Monday night bantered back and forth, recalling all of his works throughout town.

Legendary artist and teacher Manuel Unzueta was one of the many people in the crowd Monday night. He was Meza’s teacher.

“He took my class about Mexican art and fell in love with the Aztecs and the Mayans,” Unzueta said. The former Santa Barbara City College professor recalled Meza as a rising star who “made a big splash on the international tattoo scene.”

“I am very proud that through my class in 2012 he learned about his ancestry,” Unzueta said. “Meza was a walking work of art. He was a master work of art.”

Unzueta said Meza always worked to help his mother and sister and that he was a focused young man. He said he “couldn’t believe it,” when he found out Meza died.

“I am glad that only in Santa Barbara we can give an honor to someone that grew up in the barrio,” Unzueta said.

Amy Cisneros described Meza “as a great friend.”

“He’s hilarious, just an overall great person,” she said. “A kind, generous wonderful artist.”

She has five tattoos by him.

Adrian Solis met Meza at San Marcos High School in art class. They became great friends.

“He definitely left his mark in the community,” Solis said. “This is a perfect example.”

In addition to the butterfly, Annette Unzueta has a snake and an all-seeing eye tattoo, both by Meza.

“I wear them with pride,” she said. “I don’t think he knew how amazing his artwork was and the impact he left on everyone. He was just so humble.”

It is unclear at this time how Meza died. Details have not been released. He is a world traveler and recently came back from a trip to Africa. He most recently lived in San Diego, where he also was beginning to leave an impact.

Meza recently started video blogging again, saying he enjoyed editing, graphics and music. One of his recent posts is a recap of this time as an artist, which includes a video from a KEYT newscast where he is interviewed by reporter John Palminteri.

In the interview, he’s talking about the mural at Brownie’s Market, with the interracial hands holding.

“My mother taught me how to love everybody no matter what,” he said in the video. “I never saw color. I just treated everyone the same.”

A GoFundMe for Meza’s family had raised more than $10,000 as of Tuesday.