The City of Grover Beach is excited to share that seven City-owned utility boxes along West Grand Avenue have been transformed into public art. This was made possible thanks to talented local artists from Grover Beach and San Luis Obispo County and the Grover Beach Council’s approval of the City’s public art program.
“Public art has the ability to capture the spirit, imagination and vision of a community,” said Grover Beach Mayor Jeff Lee. “It is our hope that these new works of art in Grover Beach will help contribute to our community’s identity, foster community pride and innovation, and enhance the overall quality of life for all those that live in and visit our beautiful city.”
Residents and visitors can enjoy a variety of designs while they are out and about in Grover Beach, including coastal and wildlife-inspired scenes, a fun take on the city’s agricultural history, and several more modern-inspired designs.
To ensure Grover Beach residents would enjoy the best possible local works of art for many years to come, the City used a competitive application process open to San Luis Obispo County residents. The City received 20 design proposals from 12 applicants, which were evaluated based on originality, excellence and “fit” with Grover Beach’s character. The review of the design proposals was conducted by an ad-hoc Public Art Group consisting of local artists, representatives of the South County Chambers of Commerce, and City staff. The group identified the potential designs to the Parks, Recreation & Beautification Commission which recommended them to the City Council for approval.
Artist Bernadette Renois shared what this experience meant to her, saying “As an aspiring creative and resident of Five Cities, I have really enjoyed seeing the blossoming artwork along West Grand Avenue and greatly appreciate the interest and support from the locals who stopped to admire my work. My hope is that the community will enjoy a joyful boost when they drive, bike or walk past all these amazing works of art. I’m also deeply appreciative to the City of Grover Beach for giving me this opportunity to help beautify our community!”
“With COVID-19 changing our lives so drastically in the past year, I encourage everyone to take a moment and see Grover Beach’s newest works of art,” said Matthew Bronson, Grover Beach City Manager. “We look forward to hearing the community’s feedback and exploring ways to expand this utility box art program and explore other new public art opportunities.”
Public art became a priority initiative for the City of Grover Beach in 2019 based on public input and support from the City Council particularly from former Council Member Barbara Nicolls. Investing in public art programs adds enormous value to the cultural, aesthetic and economic vitality of a community, and it is freely accessible to anyone and everyone. The City will be working on other public art opportunities over the coming year.