Bright paint and artistic intent has transformed the abandoned building into the new headquarters of visual arts education nonprofit ArtReach.
“It’s a tremendous beautification of the neighborhood,” said Scott Borden, co-owner of Uptown Tavern. Along with the bar’s other owners, he sponsored the mural gracing the exterior of the Vermont St. side of the building.
ArtReach actually has its own mural program, working with libraries, schools and other organizations to create large, collaborative visual works. Designing the mural on its own headquarters was especially meaningful for the staff, who followed the theme of “Igniting Youth Creativity.”
Uptown Tavern co-owner Michael Saltsman’s dog Champ can be seen on the right side of the mural in a section showing a Hillcrest street busy with a roller skater, a wheelchair user in Doc Martens, and people walking wearing Birkenstocks, Chuck Taylor All Stars, and Chelsea boots. An inclusive rainbow under the Florida St. bridge, disco ball, burning match, coastal scene, wildflowers, moon and bird are also featured in the patchwork mural.
“This mural is a celebration of all that we embody, which is inclusivity, joy, youth creativity and community connection,” said mural program manager Isabel Halpern. “And it’s right in the historic and vibrant neighborhood of Hillcrest.”
As part of its mural program, ArtReach has a youth mural artist apprentice each year. Apprentices, who are between ages 16 and 24, are hired to take part in all parts of the mural-making process. For San Diego youth hoping to pursue a creative career, particularly in public art, the apprenticeship builds work experience. This year’s apprentice, high school senior Aili Buesche, helped prepare and execute this mural, from scraping the wall to making the crisp lines of the boxes on the mural.
“I get to live the life of a professional artist while I’m working, and there’s not one thing that I’m excluded from in the muraling process. Being treated as a capable artist has been one of the most empowering things, and I wish this for every single teenager out there,” Buesche said.
In addition to Buesche and ArtReach staff, over 200 community members participated in painting the mural on Sunday, Aug. 25. ArtReach board member Susan Wishon explained many volunteers were walking home from the farmer’s market and set their bags aside to take part in the painting.
“The entire Hillcrest neighborhood has been so welcoming, and we are so excited to be a part of all of the amazing and special things happening right here,” Halpern said. Ben Nicholls of the Hillcrest Business Association welcomed ArtReach to the neighborhood and Logan Braydis gave ArtReach a commendation on behalf of Councilmember Stephen Whitburn at a mural dedication on Sept. 18.
“Hillcrest is a real community with genuine and passionate people. Hillcrest is about diversity and tolerance and welcoming everyone to express their true selves. The act of creating art is a way of expressing one’s true self,” Nicholls said.
The interior of the vacant building has been transformed too with offices, a studio for children and an all ages studio. Andrew Alcasid, who teaches an all ages workshop on still life, painted a sunflower on a back wall of the building. He taught the first workshop in ArtReach’s new space on Sept. 27. The studio is more than double the size of ArtReach’s previous work space in Bankers Hill. “My class in the small space, the old one, it was full so having the larger space now is really exciting,” he said.
For recent German immigrant Sophia Kurig, ArtReach’s free workshops at local libraries have been a way to get connected to her new community and experience arts classes she would not have been able to afford in her home country. “ArtReach is a great way to find similar-minded people, people who just love art and making art,” Kurig said.
At the mural dedication ceremony, ArtReach Executive Director Sarah Holbach addressed a crowd gathered to welcome the organization to the neighborhood. “This incredible mural marks not an end point, but a beginning. We are ready to write the next part of our story and invite the community into our space to come create with us.”
Read the original article here >>
You May Also Like:
