“Prototypes for Billboards at A-Z West” at 7569 Girard Ave is a milestone for the program, which has transformed La Jolla spaces into an outdoor gallery.
With its installation complete April 23, Andrea Zittel’s “Prototypes for Billboards at A-Z West” at 7569 Girard Ave becomes the 50th mural of the Murals of La Jolla program, established in 2010 to enliven public spaces with commissioned art.
Leading up to the unveiling of Zittel’s piece, Murals of La Jolla counted down the previous 49 murals on its Instagram page, and the program’s new Executive Director Taylor Chapin reflected on taking the helm at such a milestone.
“It’s a lot of murals over a relatively short period of time,” Chapin said, attributing much of that achievement to the program’s first executive director, Lynda Forsha, who retired earlier this year, along with Murals of La Jolla’s Art Advisory Committee.
When the program began, originally as a project of the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, none would have imagined there would be 50 murals in 15 years, Chapin said.
Currently, there are 16 mural locations on view throughout La Jolla, mostly in The Village.
“We’re just really excited that the project’s been as successful as it is,” Chapin said. “It’s a testament to the strength of the structure of the project, of working with public-facing, private property and working directly with property owners.”
Photo by Provisions Media
The Murals of La Jolla model for public art has “proven to be incredibly effective for being able to create a dynamic and ever-changing project,” she said.
The project takes an innovative approach to public art, expanding the definition of a traditional mural by employing a print-based process, allowing for a broader range of multidisciplinary artists to participate.
The success of the program is also due in part to the La Jolla community, Chapin said, which has embraced “the project with open arms and allowed us to continue.”
The 50th mural, “Prototypes for Billboards at A-Z West,” is also Murals of La Jolla’s first mural of 2025, replacing Isaac Julien’s “Eclipse (Playtime),” 2020.
Photo by Provisions Media
The new mural originated from a series of Zitter’s paintings created between 2005 and 2013, in which Zittel explores her convictions through her personal experiences.
The mural is an “exciting” addition to the program, Chapin said, adding variety to the site and showcasing a local artist, as Zittel is originally from San Diego, born and raised in Escondido.
The full series of billboards is located on more than 80 acres in the California high desert next to Joshua Tree National Park, near where the artist currently resides.
The La Jolla mural, placed on the busy intersection of Girard and Torrey Pines Road, is “such a striking piece with this subdued palette [and] bright ribbon,” Chapin said. “It just felt like this really interesting sign post marking a transition between these two neighborhoods.”
Zittel, who was not available for interviews, is known for her conceptually-driven, interdisciplinary practice.
“One of the main benefits to a public art program like murals of La Jolla is it just allows art to be accessible to everyone in the context of the everyday,” Chapin said.
“The breadth of the people that we’re able to reach … is just one of the most incredible aspects.”
Murals of La Jolla is planning to install a few more murals this year, along with a new site or two, she said.
Photo by Provisions Media
The program has also launched its “50 for 50 fundraising campaign,” which asks people to contribute $50 in honor of the 50th mural milestone.
“We’ve had a lot of really generous donations to that,” Chapin said, adding it’s a thrill to “feel like we have the community behind us.”
© lajolla.ca
“Prototypes for Billboards at A-Z West” at 7569 Girard Ave is a milestone for the program, which has transformed La Jolla spaces into an outdoor gallery.
With its installation complete April 23, Andrea Zittel’s “Prototypes for Billboards at A-Z West” at 7569 Girard Ave becomes the 50th mural of the Murals of La Jolla program, established in 2010 to enliven public spaces with commissioned art.
Leading up to the unveiling of Zittel’s piece, Murals of La Jolla counted down the previous 49 murals on its Instagram page, and the program’s new Executive Director Taylor Chapin reflected on taking the helm at such a milestone.
“It’s a lot of murals over a relatively short period of time,” Chapin said, attributing much of that achievement to the program’s first executive director, Lynda Forsha, who retired earlier this year, along with Murals of La Jolla’s Art Advisory Committee.
When the program began, originally as a project of the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, none would have imagined there would be 50 murals in 15 years, Chapin said.
Currently, there are 16 mural locations on view throughout La Jolla, mostly in The Village.
“We’re just really excited that the project’s been as successful as it is,” Chapin said. “It’s a testament to the strength of the structure of the project, of working with public-facing, private property and working directly with property owners.”
The Murals of La Jolla model for public art has “proven to be incredibly effective for being able to create a dynamic and ever-changing project,” she said.
The project takes an innovative approach to public art, expanding the definition of a traditional mural by employing a print-based process, allowing for a broader range of multidisciplinary artists to participate.
The success of the program is also due in part to the La Jolla community, Chapin said, which has embraced “the project with open arms and allowed us to continue.”
The 50th mural, “Prototypes for Billboards at A-Z West,” is also Murals of La Jolla’s first mural of 2025, replacing Isaac Julien’s “Eclipse (Playtime),” 2020.
The new mural originated from a series of Zitter’s paintings created between 2005 and 2013, in which Zittel explores her convictions through her personal experiences.
The mural is an “exciting” addition to the program, Chapin said, adding variety to the site and showcasing a local artist, as Zittel is originally from San Diego, born and raised in Escondido.
The full series of billboards is located on more than 80 acres in the California high desert next to Joshua Tree National Park, near where the artist currently resides.
The La Jolla mural, placed on the busy intersection of Girard and Torrey Pines Road, is “such a striking piece with this subdued palette [and] bright ribbon,” Chapin said. “It just felt like this really interesting sign post marking a transition between these two neighborhoods.”
Zittel, who was not available for interviews, is known for her conceptually-driven, interdisciplinary practice.
“One of the main benefits to a public art program like murals of La Jolla is it just allows art to be accessible to everyone in the context of the everyday,” Chapin said.
“The breadth of the people that we’re able to reach … is just one of the most incredible aspects.”
Murals of La Jolla is planning to install a few more murals this year, along with a new site or two, she said.
The program has also launched its “50 for 50 fundraising campaign,” which asks people to contribute $50 in honor of the 50th mural milestone.
“We’ve had a lot of really generous donations to that,” Chapin said, adding it’s a thrill to “feel like we have the community behind us.”
© lajolla.ca
