SLO pavement art project aims to ‘bring joy’ to downtown neighborhoods
A new public art program is bringing beauty to pavements in key spots around San Luis Obispo’s downtown area
The street art project is underway through Dec. 20 in multiple neighborhoods, with a total of four artists adding murals to curb extensions at Pacific and Nipomo streets, a raised island on Morro Street and Islay streets and the Pismo Street traffic barrier used for a pedestrian walkway.
The artworks feature, among other subjects, coyotes, orange lizards and ocean waves, as well as messages such as “This is my happy place.”
“This public art project will showcase local talent and the beauty of our city,” Lindsey Stephenson, San Luis Obispo’s recreation manager, said in a news release. “It is a way to celebrate our neighborhood greenways and bring joy to all who frequent these paths.”
The greenways, residential corridors previously known as bicycle boulevards, have a new name that reflects their benefits to the entire neighborhood, San Luis Obispo officials said.
They’re being added to help reduce car speeds as part of a larger effort to route traffic and prioritize pedestrian and bicycle travel, while “enhancing the sense of place within the neighborhood,” according to city officials.
SLO public artist discusses work
Sally Lamas, who is creating street paintings for the King-Nipomo Neighborhood Greenway, said that she began her project on Nov. 21, and of late has been working at Nipomo and Pacific streets in the afternoons.
Her paintings depict dogs, crows, joggers, kids, people riding mobility scooters and more. They will decorate eight curb extensions at the intersection.
“My idea was to represent people of various ages and ethnicities who make up the people I see visiting this neighborhood and doing activities on a regular basis,” Lamas explained.
“So many people come by to talk to me and ask about the art,” she said. “It’s nice to add art to the streets of SLO. It’s something that exists in Denver, where I used to live, and it’s great to have it here too.”
Lamas said that she has painted utility boxes and participated in other public art projects in the city, adding that she enjoys creating work lives on in the city for years.
Three other artists are also involved in the public art project: Mia Franco, whose work will grace the Islay Neighborhood Greenway; Mika Timpano, whose art will appear on the Pismo Street Pedestrian Trail, and Sequoia Wolfe, who’s working on the Morro Street “Bill Roalman” Neighborhood Greenway.
SLO streets improvements add biking, walking spaces
The public art installation follows the recently completed 2020 Roadway Sealing Project which improved several neighborhood streets south of the downtown core.
That included work on the three neighborhood greenways — with the addition of visual cues, such as bumps around curb extensions, to alert drivers that these corridors prioritize bicycle and pedestrian travel.
San Luis Obispo’s comprehensive Public Arts Program has “infused murals, mosaics, oil and watercolor paintings, utility box art, stained glass, sculptures, benches, bridge railings and more throughout the city landscape,” according to the city.
In October 2020, the city received 26 submissions from local artists for consideration for the pavement art project.
An art jury consisting of residents living along the project corridors reviewed and ranked each design.
Submissions from artists living within the neighborhood of the project were given preference.
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