New murals on display under the Highway 101 overpasses in Salinas
SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV)- The Arts Council for Monterey County has shared progress on work being done on three murals underneath three Highway 101 underpasses in Salinas.
The Arts Council said that they have been working on two new murals and refurbishing one. The locations of the murals are the Highway 101 underpasses at East Market Street, Alisal Street, and Sanborn Road.
Here are the murals that crews are working on finishing.
Alisal Street: La Neta, a team of local artists including Arsenio Baca, Sea Sevilla, Avelino Sanher, Gerardo Zambrano, and Natalia Corazza, was selected to expand upon and complement the existing artwork at Alisal Street.
The Arts Council said that the Their style will integrate portraits of historical heroes such as Cesar Chavez, Larry Itliong, Dolores Huerta, and other figures and events prominent in the Salinas area. They will also bring focus to Salinas’ agricultural heritage by framing this neighborhood gateway with dramatic decorative images of Chicomecōātl, agricultural energy, and Chalchiuhtlicue, water energy.
Sanborn Road- Larger-than-life faces and figures, representative of agricultural growers and workers, and architectural landmarks that evoke the Alisal’s historic roots will appear to fly off the walls of the Sanborn Road underpass, creating an immersive, cinematic experience. The artwork will be done by Timothy Robert Smith
East Market Street: The East Market Street underpass will be transformed by lushly colored murals created by the artist team of MJ Lindo-Lawyer and Joshua Lawyer.
Images will portray the human experience paired with local folklore to celebrate the layered histories of the surrounding neighborhood and a vision for future generations. The murals will also highlight natural elements of Salinas ecology such as Alisal’s namesake Sycamore trees, California poppies, and local birds. The artists will engage with the local community through a special art event.
The mural work is wrapping up and the next phase will begin shortly with Caltrans coming in to take care of the landscaping and lighting. A community celebration is tentatively being planned for August once all the work is complete.
