From the VC Reporter:
The unveiling of Ventura’s Streetscape Mural Project on March 23 drew artists, members of the public and city representatives. The project also inspired comparisons to President Roosevelt’s public works projects.
Bringing to mind Depression-era subsidized public arts programs that installed sculptures and murals in federal buildings, the Public Art Commission’s project began as an open call, welcoming artists of varying experience levels. Proposals poured in from single artists and collaborative groups alike, enabling Buena High School and Cabrillo Middle School, as well as the Ventura County Rainbow Alliance, to take part in the citywide beautification effort.
When private goes public
The murals’ subject matter ran the gamut from landscapes to public awareness. For Mayor Carl Morehouse, who was present at the ceremony, the murals reflect the unique perspectives of over 62 artists who live in the community. For Morehouse, the pieces encourage “civic engagement,” meaning artwork previously relegated to private collections, galleries or personal doodles has now become part of the public landscape.
“It’s a value to every person’s public everyday experience,” Morehouse stated.
To Morehouse, the murals each preserve a moment in time. He characterized the 12 pieces as conversation starters, as well as contributions to smart urban planning. Referring again to New Deal-fostered artwork, the mayor reflected that citizen art is an important part of democracy, one that nurtures a legacy within the city.
With the stated purpose of softening “hard infrastructure,” the Public Art Commission decided to transform several citywide bus stops into art installations while maintaining their functionality. The Commission hopes improving bus stops on an aesthetic level will encourage Ventura residents to reconsider alternative modes of transportation.
The mural message
Photographer Stephen Schafer’s contribution encourages such an interaction with bus commuters, the only passers-by who might be able to “get” the full extent of his message. Schafer’s mural is a stark and eye-catching imitation of an optometrist’s chart, with large block letters of decreasing size spelling out his thoughts on Ventura.
On the other end of the spectrum were murals that eschewed text. Buena High School’s mural was inspired by American music of every imaginable genre and shows a variety of the industry’s movers and shakers: Gene Simmons butts up against Joni Mitchell and Ray Charles; Bob Marley and Jimi Hendrix cast their influence among other legends. As the mural’s statement reflects, music is an all-inclusive art form.
The Rainbow Alliance made use of a simple black-and-white scheme to broadcast their theme, “I Know, Do You?" which refers to an international AIDS (and HIV status) awareness campaign. Using anonymous but emblematic figures of all ages, genders and sexual orientation, the piece becomes a show of solidarity for Ventura County’s population.
Christopher McMakin goes more abstract, with a mural that shows his transposed doodles and the cast of endearingly deranged cartoon characters who inhabit his psyche. Looking at McMakin’s piece, private becomes very public, and the surrounding area seems the better for it.
The mural-making process
Local artist Terence Adam Ulrich reflected on his experience producing a larger-than-life painting that will be seen by thousands. The seasoned painter and illustrator, whose work often appears in the Reporter, labored without knowing where his painting might end up.
He was provided with the necessary materials and found that his production experience was, like his mural, emblematic of Ventura: From receiving the four panels to completion, Ulrich suffered considerable setbacks due to January’s cold snap (he works from a studio in his garage).
Although he is no stranger to working on a large scale, Ulrich found the commission-sanctioned paint — acrylic latex — provided him with a crash course in a new medium.
“They wanted it to last due to the exposure it would be receiving,” explains Ulrich. “It took me about three days to figure out how I could work with this paint. It doesn’t work like usual acrylic. It’s made to sit on top of a surface — really durable, almost like elastic. It’s made to just sit on top of wood and not just sink in. I would paint a layer then let it dry. I painted these little intricate designs, then I painted over that. Then I took my electric sander, sanded the top layer off, the designs came up from underneath.”
Describing the scene shown in his mural, Ulrich said, “We moved up here to surf, and so for me the symbolization of Ventura is the ocean and the hillsides and the islands. That’s what I wanted to show.”
The Streetscape Mural Project is the first of a two-part project for Ventura’s streetscape.
