After 15 years and 50 murals, Executive Director Lynda Forsha will step down.
“Art discovered in the public realm holds a unique and transformative power,” Lynda Forsha says. “It can shape a community’s identity, foster cultural growth and strengthen social bonds.”
For nearly the last 15 years, Forsha has led the Murals of La Jolla program as its executive director, addressing its donors, artists and supporters at the program’s annual “Parking Lot Party” Sept. 26.
Murals of La Jolla is a project of the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library originally initiated by the La Jolla Community Foundation in 2010, commissioning large-scale art for public spaces around La Jolla.
Lynda Forsha, former Executive Director of the Murals of La Jolla program. (Elisabeth Frausto/lajolla.ca)
The 2024 Parking Lot Party, traditionally hosted to thank those who help the murals program thrive, also served as Forsha’s farewell: She is stepping down as Murals of La Jolla’s executive director in January.
“After 15 years and 50 murals, it’s time for me to pass the baton to new leadership,” she said. “I’m very excited about what’s to come, and I look forward to participating in every way that I can.”
A search is now underway for Forsha’s replacement.
Forsha “began working on our project before it was even a reality,” said Patsy Marino, chair of the Murals of La Jolla selection committee.
Forsha conducts walking tours of the murals, cleans bird feces off the pieces and corrals committee members and artists. “It’s a very glamorous job,” Marino laughed.
Patsy Marino, chair of the Murals of La Jolla selection committee. (Elisabeth Frausto/lajolla.ca)
“This project would not be what it is or where it is today without your careful oversight, your high standards and your commitment to excellence,” Marino said.
In thanking program supporters, Marino said “we are a relatively small but mighty group, and that’s what it takes to make positive change in the community.”
“Over the past 15 years, everyone’s generosity has allowed us to enhance the civic character of our community,” Forsha said, with 17 dedicated mural sites on private property and privately funded.
Public art “often challenges norms, inspiring viewers to see the world in new ways, provoking thought, sparking conversations and enriching lives,” she said.
“What I take the most pride in is that we have created a groundbreaking model for public art,” Forsha said.
After nine years of Parking Lot Parties, the celebration will change formats next year, though the details are not yet known, Marino said.
This year’s party also included remarks by artist Todd Gray, who has been commissioned to create the 49th piece for Murals of La Jolla; his work will be installed by Oct. 2.
Gray “constructs photographic compositions deliberately obscuring certain details and elements of his photographs,” Forsha said, “striking the delicate balance between revealing and concealing his subject matter.”
Forsha then uncovered a rendering of the new mural, which is composed of images assembled from a “glitch” on his data cards that at first was frustrating but later he realized were “gold,” Gray said.
“I was really flattered, especially when I did some of the research behind this project and saw what storied artists have participated and how supportive the community has been,” Gray said.
Stay tuned for lajolla.ca’s in-depth interview with Gray about the new mural.
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