Children’s art created during Youth in Arts residencies has been selected as part of San Rafael’s public art project to beautify the Third Street Garage.
The city’s Parking Services Division selected two works created during arts residencies with Youth in Arts’ Mentor Artists Julia James and Cathy Bowman. Each mixed media work will be temporarily transformed into a 3 by 6 foot sign at Fifth Avenue and C Street while the new public safety center is being built across the street.
City officials said once they started looking at the garage, they realized it was time for a facelift.
“We’re really excited about this out-of-the-box project,” said Sean Mooney, San Rafael’s civic design manager.
City Manager Jim Schutz said he wants the city to have more public art that people happen upon and are delighted by, rather than seeing art only in a museum. San Rafael has been designated as a Downtown Cultural Arts District by the state because of its vibrant arts community.
“One of my visions … is that that happens all over downtown,” Jim said.
A mixed media piece by students at Willow Creek Academy is currently on display at the garage. The art was created last spring in a self-contained class of kindergarten and first graders who worked with Cathy. The art will be up through May.
The city also selected a piece created by students who worked with Julia James at Magnolia Park School in San Rafael. Cathy’s and Julia’s classes were part of Youth in Arts’ Arts Unite Us (AUU) Program, which serves young artists experiencing disabilities. Some of the young artists who created the Magnolia Park piece attended the city’s celebration.
Each children’s art piece selected, is paired with work by an adult artist that appears on the opposite side of the sign, celebrating San Rafael. Adult artists chosen include “Under the Surface” by Travis Weller, which is paired with the collaborative work by Julia’s students; and “Visions of San Rafael,” by Isabel Hayes, which is paired by the collaborative piece by Cathy’s students.
