Location: Mural installation site at Ditmar Street & Mission Avenue across from the MainStreet Oceanside Office in the Oceanside Cultural District
Website: mainstreetoceanside.com/artthatexcites
Media Contact: Gumaro Escarcega, 619-519-2027, gumaro@mainstreetoceanside.com
Oceanside, Calif. — Aug. 22, 2022: MainStreet Oceanside invites the Oceanside community to the unveiling of Downtown Oceanside’s next public art mural. Free and open to all, a Community Mural Unveiling Celebration with artist Don Myers will be held from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 27, outside the MainStreet Oceanside Office on Ditmar Street between Mission Avenue and Seagaze Drive. Through a partnership with property owner Larry Hatter and business owner Greg Ferrell, the installed ocean glass mosaic mural is located on the east wall of the Conehead Investments building, 615 Mission Ave., on Ditmar Street facing MainStreet Oceanside in the Oceanside Cultural District. This is the fourth mural of MainStreet’s Art That Excites program.
The family-friendly celebration will include live music by pianist and donor Robert Parker, dessert by One Kitchen Collaborative, a glass coaster workshop by mural glass provider and sponsor Oceanside Glass & Tile, and a mosaic-mural themed kids art activity. Both the workshop and the activity are free.
MainStreet plans to unveil and dedicate the 16-by-12-foot mosaic mural, sponsored and assembled by the community, at 2:30 p.m. MainStreet will also announce the name of the mural, chosen by an online community vote from entries in an Instagram community mural naming contest.
At a Community Mosaic Building Workshop on Feb. 29, 2020, and at socially distanced Community Mosaic Building Sessions throughout the pandemic, Myers and members of our community assembled the mural in six 8-foot-by-4-foot panels at Myers studio at 1025 S. Coast Highway. Panel by panel, Myers and these local volunteers together cut, shaped and glued on glass pieces sponsored and provided by Oceanside Glass & Tile to form the aquatic-themed mosaic. Myers placed the first tile on the mural two-and-a-half years ago at the inaugural workshop with Councilmember Peter Weiss, who was then serving as mayor, and the final two tiles with Mayor Esther Sanchez on March 10.
Community members also had the opportunity to participate in the creation of the installed mural, which depicts a community of local sea life as it resides below the surface of the Pacific Ocean just off our beaches, through sponsorships ranging from $100 up to $7,500. A total of 66 community members and local businesses and organizations have sponsored the mural’s 77 sea animals and plants. Sponsors will be recognized next to the mural on a plaque, to be installed at the celebration, featuring the name of the donor or the donor’s family, an honoree, a group or a business.
About Art that Excites
The objective of Art that Excites, previously the Oceanside Mural Initiative, is to install 10 curated public art murals to transform Downtown Oceanside into a destination for public art, to provide art education and community outreach, and to help define Oceanside as a community whose identity is built upon and driven by the arts. The installation of the ocean glass mosaic mural completes the first phase of the Art that Excites program.
About the Oceanside Cultural District
One of California’s first 14 cultural districts and one of only three in San Diego County, The Oceanside Cultural District, located in Downtown Oceanside, was designated by the California Arts Council in 2017. Bounded by The Star Theatre to the north (Sportfisher Drive), the Oceanside Museum of Art to the east (Nevada Street), The Hill Street Country Club Gallery to the south (Minnesota Avenue) and the Oceanside Pier to the west, the Oceanside Cultural District, is home to an eclectic, emerging art scene. Along historic Highway 101 and the Pacific Ocean, with an iconic pier and amphitheater, you will find a unique destination with an abundance of cultural resources.
Oceanside Museum of Art is a premier regional art museum and a leader of arts and culture. The California Surf Museum connects with nontraditional arts audiences while honoring local surf culture. The historical Sunshine Brooks and Star theaters provide opportunities for all ages and introduce professional theatrical expression to thousands of schoolchildren each year.
Cultural events like the Oceanside Dia de Los Muertos Festival are varied, colorful and celebratory as well as educational, featuring dance, music and food. The district is home to MainStreet Oceanside’s Farmers Market and Sunset Market, San Diego County’s top weekly food and music street fair. Tattoo artists recognize the area’s military historical heritage with much of their work, and Artist Alley provides an interactive experience for all with practicing artists and artisans. Restaurants, wineries and breweries in the district highlight local artists and musicians.
About MainStreet Oceanside
MainStreet Oceanside is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting a pedestrian-friendly community with unique and exciting attractions, including both daytime and evening activities, for residents and visitors alike.
