The City of San Luis Obispo’s Public Art Program helps maintain San Luis Obispo’s community identity, connecting community members and visitors to San Luis Obispo’s shared history and cultural heritage. Currently, the City’s Public Art Program consists of more than 70 unique pieces of art, ranging from murals, mosaics, oil and watercolor paintings, utility box art, stained glass, sculptures, benches, bridge railings and more.
The City entered into a community partnership agreement with the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art in July 2021 to coordinate various public art projects for San Luis Obispo for the next two years. Through this unique agreement the Museum (SLOMA) is engaging regional and national artists to complete various projects as part of the program.
What: Installation of the second project of the San Luis Obispo’s Public Art Program in partnership with the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art this year. The monumental mural will cover two walls (40 by 80 feet and 60 by 20 feet) in downtown San Luis Obispo and is inspired by the environment, geology, and history of San Luis Obispo. The piece will depict the seven sisters, which ground the landscape of our region.
Who: Members of the media are invited to schedule a time to meet with artist Maria Molteni (they/their) and observe and/or record their artistic process. Molteni is not new to creating public art – they have exhibited artwork in basements, meadows, sidewalks, and basketball courts across the globe. They are widely known for their immersive and collaborative installation and will work with two assistants. This project is managed by the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art and funded by the City of San Luis Obispo.
When: Molteni officially began their work on site on Saturday, October 9 and plans to complete the mural by November 11.
Where: The expansive mural will cover two walls in the parking lot behind the historic Fremont Theater in downtown San Luis Obispo, facing the high traffic corridor of Higuera Street.
Why: Managed by the City’s Parks and Recreation Department, San Luis Obispo’s Public Art Program is designed to strengthen the City’s commitment to sustaining a vibrant community. Artists develop their art by engaging with the public space, getting to know the community, and learning about the history of San Luis Obispo. The resulting artwork represents diversity of thought that can take a wide range of forms, sizes, and scales, and can range from temporary to permanent.