What's ahead for City Arts and our public art program?! City Arts Program Manager, Beth Ragel, presented the annual City Arts Annual Report to Council on October 27, 2016. The report highlighted three new exciting project/programs that City Arts staff and the Arts Commission are prioritizing for the fiscal year:

• Beach Flats Mural & Engagement Project
• SCRAP- Recycled Art Program
• Riverwalk Murals

Beach Flats Mural and Community Engagement Project:

The currently proposed mural project is envisioned to be more than putting paint on a wall. The engagement process will reach a broad spectrum of neighborhood residents, including those who primarily speak Spanish. The artists hired will work closely with local organizations including Mercy Housing which operates Nueva Vista Apartments; Nuevo Dia children’s program at Beach Flats; and Nueva Vista Community Resources at Beach Flats to provide meaningful opportunities for neighborhood residents to be involved from conception to installation. The hope is that the resulting mural will be something that residents will be proud of and which will be worthy of celebrating as part of a final dedication event.

Several events are being planned to engage residents—including kids—in the vision for this project. City Arts staff also intends to partner with Santa Cruz Community Health Centers to conduct a StoryCorps project in Beach Flats, a community workshop and possibly other activities and events.

The selected artist(s) will be required to hold a neighborhood meeting prior to the Arts Commission review of the proposal so neighbors can provide input on the proposed mural(s).

SCRAP Program (Santa Cruz Recycled Art Program)

The SCRAP pilot program will offer three to four 16-week residencies at the Resource Recovery Center.

The program will support City Council’s goals of enhancing environmental sustainability; support local artists by providing an opportunity to make art from recycled materials; support the RRF educational program and encourage the community to think about consumption practices. Staff is currently exploring several options for studio space for the artists both at the RRC itself and at the Wrigley building in collaboration with Idea Fab Labs. An exhibition of the work produced will be held at the Blitzer Gallery in December, 2016 and the studio space will be open during the Open Studios tours in October as well.

Riverwalk Murals:

In an effort to continue the momentum and awareness that the 2015 Ebb & Flow River Arts Festival created this summer, the City plans to work with local businesses along the Riverwalk to place bird and nature themed murals on the backs of the buildings facing the river.

The program will engage key stakeholder groups in caring for the Riverwalk and further educate the community about San Lorenzo habitat and the birds of the San Lorenzo, thereby, encouraging stewardship and care of the San Lorenzo River. Birds in particular are a popular subject for art as birds are beautiful, accessible, and emblematic of conservation. Acting as barometers of habitat change, they can tell us how we are faring as stewards of our planet.

The proposed murals will depict birds and wildlife of the San Lorenzo River. The San Lorenzo River is home to numerous bird species some of which are threatened. Temporary murals may also be explored.