Covering the first 15 years and 50 murals of the project, the new “Murals of La Jolla 2010–2025” is a “significant” archiving of public art in La Jolla. 

Showcasing what its leadership calls “an important milestone,” Murals of La Jolla has published its second book, “Murals of La Jolla 2010–2025,” commemorating its 15 years and 50 murals.

The 224-page, hardbound book includes photos of the first 50 murals (the Murals of La Jolla project has since installed two more), commissioned for privately-owned buildings aimed at enhancing La Jolla civic character.

The new book also includes an essay, artist biographies and fold-out timeline , documenting Murals of La Jolla’s place “within this broader conversation around contemporary art,” Murals of La Jolla’s Executive Director Taylor Chapin said. 

Image courtesy of Philipp Scholz Rittermann

The 50 murals in 15 years “feels like a really significant accomplishment,” she said, one that deserves a permanent tribute in a book, as the murals themselves are meant to be temporary, with many of those photographed already having come down.

The murals book is a “substantial archival document” preserving the murals, highlighting the extent and breadth of the project, Chapin said.

The first Murals of La Jolla book, published in 2020, covered the first 10 years and 30 murals of the project but is now out of print.

Image courtesy of Philipp Scholz Rittermann

The design process for the new book was “deeply collaborative,” said Lynda Forsha, who retired from the project as its founding executive director in early 2025 but returned to take on the new book project. 

Producing the book meant revisiting all the murals, artists and “stories that have come up over the years,” Chapin said, a “gratifying” effort that resulted in a “beautiful, lasting record of the project’s evolution and impact.”

Beyond being a coffee table canvas for lovers of art books, the new murals book is for anyone with a connection to La Jolla, she said. Those who thumb through the pages will see not only the evolution of a public art project, but also a time capsule of “the spirit of La Jolla.”

To purchase “Murals of La Jolla 2010–2025,” visit muralsoflajolla.com or the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, located at 1008 Wall St in La Jolla.