Downtown San Rafael is about to burst into color and creativity! The City Council has approved five new public artworks—three murals and two sculptures—destined for prominent city-owned sites, following a national call that drew nearly 200 applicants and a multi-stage juried review with community input. Installations are scheduled from spring through summer.
Among the selected artists, Bryan Valenzuela will create Handle With Care, a two-panel, 2,000-square-foot mural for the C Street garage, using his signature technique of forming imagery through stippled handwritten text. Wyatt Hersey will paint San Rafael Tapestry, an 800-square-foot mural inspired by wildlife and landscape. In the City Plaza Courtyard, Paz de la Calzada will install a ceramic tile mural influenced by water and architectural form.
Sculptor Martin Taylor will debut Touch the Sky, a stainless-steel figure accented with gold, while Oleg Lobykin will present an 18-foot abstract steel work at City Hall.
Funded largely by a $671,000 grant from the California Arts Council and supported by program partner Local Edition Creative, the initiative covers artist fees, fabrication, engagement, and celebrations—positioning public art as a lasting civic investment.
