Public Art

Over the past year, the city of San Luis Obispo has added neighborhood greenways as a part of a larger road works project.

The idea behind the greenways is to prioritize walking and biking as modes of transportation. But the changes aren’t stopping with the addition of bike lanes and speed humps. The city is now partnering with local artists to beautify the new corridors with painted pavement murals.

If you head to the beach in Santa Barbara this summer, you might stumble upon an outdoor display by world-renowned artist Tom Fruin. His brightly-colored sculptures, made of reclaimed plexiglass, bring a new perspective to common shapes and designs.

Should San Luis Obispo have a formal policy regarding monuments? That was the discussion among city officials this week after a group proposed placing a statue of a former U.S. president in a city park. The mayor and some in the community disagreed with the idea. San Luis Obispo officials ultimately decided the city’s policy is not to allow any monuments to living or dead individuals to be erected.

The nonprofit Arts Obispo and a group of community members propose to install a bronze statue of Theodore Roosevelt in San Luis Obispo’s Mitchell Park. But first, the city needs to decide if a formal monument policy is needed.

San Luis Obispo leaders and community groups will meet next week to discuss the direction of an ongoing popular public art project. 

The city has plans to paint over some of the already completed pieces of its utility box art project, but that's not sitting well with some residents.