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The
Boulevard Arts District
The Boulevard BIA
has established an Arts District. After years of focusing on infrastructure
improvements, the association is now placing a greater emphasis on public
art. This is an opportunity to showcase local artists and continue the
progression of revitalization.
The BIA is interested
in presenting pieces of history and culture which highlight the evolution
of this historic roadway. To kick things off, the organization recruited
eight artists to paint 10 utility boxes. The Utility Box Gallery is
a project aimed at reducing graffiti by turning blighted elements of
the urban streetscape on El Cajon Boulevard into works of art. Reduction
in graffiti will result in increased business for the merchants of El
Cajon Boulevard as well as a sense of pride for people of all ages and
nationalities in the community. This goal of economic improvement through
art fits into El Cajon Boulevard BIA's goal of bringing public improvement
activity onto and adjacent to the Boulevard. Community art work creates
a more inviting, safe, and pleasant pedestrian environment, thus encouraging
walkability along El Cajon Boulevard.
Utility
Box Gallery
The theme of The
Boulevard Utility Box Gallery is focused on highlighting past happenings
along the Boulevard. Local artists as well as members of the community
are invited to contribute their time and talent to create colorful graphic
designs onto utility boxes in order to celebrate the history and uniqueness
of El Cajon Boulevard. Through these efforts, the El Cajon Boulevard
BIA has created the Boulevard Utility Box Gallery.
With the intent
of turning every utility box into a work of art as its current effort,
the BIA seeks to expand the visible experience through the eventual
installation of murals, along with sculptures of cars, trees, giants,
and animals, and events which celebrate the arts. In all cases, the
Boulevard Cultural Arts District seeks to partner with members of the
BIA and adjacent communities to develop the theme of local relevance
with every piece that is installed.
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Murals
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Collaborative
work by Crol, Werc, Vyal, Evolve, Pose 2, Mario Torero and Sherm
Location:
2030 El Cajon Blvd
Theme: Colorful visual representation of the history and
diversity of San Diego. It was done exclusively with aerosol paint
to transcend the typical notions of graffiti writing, and adds
expressive color and cultural flavor to El Cajon Boulevard.
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Werc and
Geraldine Lozano
Location:
3727 El Cajon Blvd
Theme: Illustrates the history of Highway 80 on The Boulevard
and captures the artistic revitalization of the area.
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Crol
Location:
4275 37th St
Theme: "The Bookman" commissioned this mural
which captures the magic books can offer. "The Bookman"
is a nonprofit organization who for 20 Years has been "Providing
Books To Anyone Who Wants To Read And Learn." You can learn
more here: http://www.thebookman.org/
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Utility
Boxes
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Mario Torero
Location:
4304 Park Blvd
Theme: Identifies with the nostalgic toy train shop, Frank
the Train Man
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Werc
Location:
1825 El Cajon Blvd
Theme: Inspired by the Boulevard's historic development, artist
Rene Alvarez chose to document the paving of El Cajon Boulevard.
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Crol and Werc
Locations:
1905 El Cajon Blvd
Theme: 20th Anniversary Boxes
The banner images created by graphic designs students at SDSU were
so great that the El Cajon Boulevard BIA promotions committee decided
that they should be painted on utility boxes as well. Artists Crol
and Werc did an excellent job of replicating the designs on the Boulevard's
ever growing utility box art display.
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Mario Torero
Location:
1905 El Cajon Blvd (Artwork destroyed by a car accident)
Theme: This box is a tribute to great leaders throughout history.
Their images reside on the Boulevard in an effort to influence an
alternative mode of transportation. Driving a car day in and day out
is not good for our environment. In this depiction, Martin Luther
King recommends the bus, Cesar Chavez prefers a skateboard, and John
F. Kennedy is carpooling down the Boulevard in a motorcade, as he
did in 1963 on his way to San Diego State University to deliver an
inaugural speech. Artist Mario Torero, along with students and teachers
from the Cesar Chavez School in Barrio Logan completed this box in
celebration of Martin Luther King Day, 2008.
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Emily Mather
Location: 2345
El Cajon Blvd
Theme: The Lafayette Hotel, a historic gem on El Cajon Boulevard.
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Kelly Hutchison
Location:
2633 El Cajon Blvd
Theme: Located in front on the Chicken Pie Shop, the prominent
looking chickens signify the importance of this long standing restaurant.
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Megan Gilbert
Location:
2851 El Cajon Blvd
Theme: Megan Gilbert wanted to demonstrate her appreciation
to the the Russian-Georgian restaurant on El Cajon Boulevard called
Pomegranate as well as the vast multicultural communities that have
settled along the Boulevard by depicting the exquistite landscape
and culture of Russia. The illustrations were inspired by the children's
book author and illustrator Patricia Polacco in her book "Rechenka's
Eggs".
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Rudy Gonzalez
Location:
3105 El Cajon Blvd
Theme: Drive-in restaurants and movie theaters began to pop
up in the 1930s and new possibilities for dining out captivated the
American lifestyle. For San Diego, Oscars Drive-in and the Campus
Theater on El Cajon Boulevard was where it was at. Artist Rudy Gonzalez
sums up all this excitement in one utility box.
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Rick Hines
Location:
3299 El Cajon Blvd
Theme: On the corner of 33rd street in front of Wells Fargo,
the artist captures that value of a triumphant multicultural environment.
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Daniel Klisser
Location:
3301 El Cajon Blvd
Theme: Depicts the early development of Historic Highway 80
along El Cajon Boulevard, when there was little to be seen besides
open land and scattered homes, such as the little Victorian house
that is still situated on the 3700 block of El Cajon Boulevard, where
Emma Schnugg was born.
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Manda Durham
Location:
3551 El Cajon Blvd
Theme: Artist Manda Durham's depiction of produce from around
the world illustrates the variety of foods sold at nearby North Park
Produce.
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Rudy
Location:
4400 El Cajon Blvd
Theme: Artist Rudy Gonzalez colorfully includes images of El
Cajon Boulevard's vibrant business district. The art deco column is
a replica of the existing columns on the I-15 bridge deck. On the
back there is an image of a bus and a woman crossing the street promotes
a healthy transportation alternative.
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Ms. Pearson
Location:
4495 El Cajon Blvd
Theme: Artist Rick Hines and Elizabeth Pearson worked in collaboration
to produce an exhibit of colorful, delicious fruit. Local residents
and people throughout San Diego are drawn to El Cajon Boulevard for
the numerous specialty grocery stores and exceptional variety of ethnic
restaurants.
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Rick Hines
Location:
3697 El Cajon Blvd
Theme: An image of El Cajon Boulevard from 1904, when it was
only a dirt road and people traveled by horse and buggy. His other
panels plays into the character of this earlier period when elements
of nature were more abundent.
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Emily Mather
Location:
3727 El Cajon Blvd
Theme: Bekin Storage opened a building on 3727 El Cajon Boulevard
in 1938 and there were actually another 66 identical ones built across
the United States. Bekin was the first company in the United States
to open temporary storage facilities, a needed service for people
and families who were relocated because of work. The company was founded
in 1891, in the days of horse and buggy. Artist Emily Mathers selected
this logo to demonstrate the early history of an innovative company
that once existed on El Cajon Boulevard.
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Crol
Location:
3733 El Cajon Blvd
Theme: The three boxes are an interpretation of a garden, which
relates to a prior orchard farm once located at the site.
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Rudy
Gonzalez
Location:
3927 El Cajon Blvd
Theme: The artist was inspired to relive the Boulevard’s
old time favorite restaurants, including Oscars, Chicken in the Rough,
and Glenns.
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Emily Mather
Location:
4191 El Cajon Blvd
Theme: With all the taco shops, tamale stands, and mexican
food markets along El Cajon Boulevard, artist Emily Mather wanted
to share the early history of Mexico by depicting what Aztec gods'
look like.
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Manda Durham
Location: 4245
El Cajon Blvd
Theme: Hood ornaments from the early 1930's and 40s to represent
the Boulevard's historic car culture.
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Werc
Location:
4259 El Cajon Blvd
Theme: Werc is an extraordinary artist. Along with his participation
in the Boulevard Arts District, he has also created public murals
throughout the country and the world. In this fifth utility box project
on El Cajon Boulevard Werc created a mural on three boxes which relate
to the resources that the AjA Project offers to this community. The
AjA Project is a non-profit organization located on El Cajon Boulevard
near the boxes. The AjA Project provides innovative media arts and
photography-based educational programs to refugee youth in City Heights.
Photography is a medium for the youth to explore identity and develop
communication and leadership skills, both for the individual and their
community.
Werc emigrated
from Juarez, Mexico at a young age. He understands first-hand that
moving to another country can be a life-altering experience. Embracing
the art of graffiti was a creative outlet that helped Werc discover
his self-identity and develop future goals. He admires the unique
opportunity refugee youth have through AJA because as he states, "motivating
kids through art is powerful."
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Pose
Location:
4731 El Cajon Blvd
Theme: Over the decades revitalization has continued along
The Boulevard, including the landscaping of the medians and installation
of streetlights and trees. Pose, a world-renowned public artist, takes
an intuitive, freestyle approach to revitalizing public spaces. In
this round, Pose selected to design a butterfly to represent the transformation
along El Cajon Boulevard, including the emerging Boulevard Arts District.
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Tammy Nguyen,
VAYA
Location:
4501 El Cajon Blvd
Theme: This box is a collage of familiar Vietnamese scenes;
a Vietnamese girl overlooking the Mekong River on a wooden bridge,
a young boy resting on a water buffalo, and the green rice fields
of Vietnam. The original concept was supplied by artist, Tammy Nguyen,
and the box was painted by members of the Vietnamese American Youth
Alliance of San Diego.
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Crol and Werc
Locations:
4517 El Cajon Blvd
Theme: 20th Anniversary Boxes
The banner images created by graphic designs students at SDSU were
so great that the El Cajon Boulevard BIA promotions committee decided
that they should be painted on utility boxes as well. Artists Crol
and Werc did an excellent job of replicating the designs on the Boulevard's
ever growing utility box art display.
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Frank Vuong,
VAYA
Location:
4547 El Cajon Blvd
Theme: A painting of "Cho Ben Thanh", a famous marketplace
in Vietnam and reflecting the desires of the Vietnamese community
to one day create their own Vietnamese shopping district on El Cajon
Boulevard.
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Kari Lam, VAYA
Location:
4547 El Cajon Blvd
Theme: A collage reflecting a Vietnamese legend in which the
Vietnamese people are the descendents of the children of a sea dragon
and a fairy. Kari Lam provided the design and was assisted in the
painting by the Vietnamese Student Association of SDSU.
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Crol and Werc
Locations:
4555 El Cajon Blvd
Theme: 20th Anniversary Boxes
The banner images created by graphic designs students at SDSU were
so great that the El Cajon Boulevard BIA promotions committee decided
that they should be painted on utility boxes as well. Artists Crol
and Werc did an excellent job of replicating the designs on the Boulevard's
ever growing utility box art display.
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Manda Durham
Location:
4655 El Cajon Blvd
Theme: Across from the Asia Business Center, the box eludes
to the previous presence of aviation on the Boulevard.
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Pose
Location:
4665 El Cajon Blvd
Theme: In recent decades, the Asian communities have made a
home for themselves along El Cajon Boulevard. This utility box was
transformed into a dragon, a sacred asian symbol, to demonstrate the
cultural transformation of El Cajon Boulevard.
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Rudy Gonzalez
Location: 4776 El Cajon Blvd
Theme: A historic day for El Cajon Boulevard, when on June
6, 1963, JFK rode in a black limousine motorcade through Downtown
and up El Cajon Boulevard. Thousands of people cheered along the streets
as he headed to San Diego State College to deliver a commencement
speech.
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Crol
Location:
4885 El Cajon Blvd
Theme: In downtown San Diego, the Eyes of Picasso mural has
been a notable icon which has been relocated to several different
buildings throughout the years of new development. JFK's visit to
El Cajon Boulevard in 1963 is also a notable piece of history. Artist
Gibran Crol merged these two themes onto a utility box on the Boulevard
called Eyes of JFK.
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Werc
Location:
4919 El Cajon Blvd
Theme: An artistic time-lime, incorporating elements of the
Boulevard's history with signs of current progress.
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Rick Hines
Location: 4951
El Cajon Blvd
Theme: Artist Rick Hines demonstrates his passion for the African
immigrants and refugee population who currently reside in our community
by revealing his deep understanding of the diverse African cultures.
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Troy Vaught
Location:
4952 El Cajon Blvd
Theme: On the northeast corner of 50th Street and the Boulevard,
theis box alludes to the many cultures that reside in this neighborhood,
commanding respect and love for all.
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Werc
Location:
5099 El Cajon Blvd
Theme: With all the fruit markets and grocery stores located
on El Cajon Boulevard, fruit is a unifying symbol of this multicultural
environment.
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Richard Dellgrasio,
VAYA
Location:
5125 El Cajon Blvd
Theme: A seascape of the Southeast Asian coast with the historical
fishing boats common to the
area.
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Andy Moretz
Location:
5140 El Cajon Blvd
Theme: A penny arcade is an entertaining coin-operated machine.
The name derives from the penny, once a staple coin for such machines.
This included early forms of pinball and fortune telling machinery
of the 1930s. Similar to the history of El Cajon Boulevard, artist
Andy Moretz wanted to paint an art deco penny arcade because it is
a piece of history that is not commonly seen or talked about any longer.
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Pablo
Acevedo
Location:
5415 El Cajon Blvd
Theme: Depicts a link between our community's multicultural
heritage and a previous era when the Boulevard was nothing but farmland.
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Pete
Evaristo
Location: 5489
El Cajon Blvd
Theme: On the northeast corner of 54th Street and the Boulevard,
Pete Evaristo completed a previous design by Paul Vauchelet who wanted
to add an artistic piece of security on to the Boulevard with a box
titled 'Neighborhood Watch.'
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To view a
slideshow of the utility boxes please check out The Boulevard's
flickr site:
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