Downtown La Jolla Gets an Artistic Boost

As the saying goes, "one man’s trash is another man’s treasure." Well nothing made that ring truer than “Art in the Heart of La Jolla,” a community outreach project put on by the La Jolla Art Association. On Saturday, members of the association gathered on the corner of Prospect Street and Herschel Avenue to promote their paintings, which were installed on nearly 20 trash receptacles throughout downtown La Jolla.

“During these economic hard times, many towns are losing their beautification funds,” Community Relations Chair Pierce Harrah said. “We basically wanted to give back to the community and help keep it beautiful.”

“Art in the Heart of La Jolla” began three years ago, when member Roger Heglar had an idea to beautify the town while simultaneously promoting the LJAA. Since its inception, the project has spread to 36 cans. Saturday’s event replaced worn-down paintings, and placed paintings in new locations.

Although the artwork will be spread throughout downtown La Jolla, artists gathered and painted together on the street corner to raise awareness of the project. Tourists and residents alike stopped by to admire the artists’ work, inquire about their inspirations, and learn more about the project.

“I like the whole purpose of this project- to promote art, appreciate artistry, and help emerging artists promote their work,” LJAA President Melinda Newman said.

Participating artists previously painted their work on sturdy boards that were provided by Jade Schulz, owner of Schulz, who is a former member, worked with Heglar in 2009 to help get the project started. He also spent Saturday afternoon installing the art work around town.

The subjects of the installed paintings varied greatly from work to work, but all had a common thread, capturing the culture of La Jolla.

After her retirement, Newman travelled across the country and gained much of her artistic inspiration.

“I fell in love with waiting birds, and egrets,” she said. “These are birds that we see on our shores, and I thought that this event was the perfect opportunity to bring them to La Jolla.” 

Other artists, like LJAA Vice President Judy Judy Judy, drew inspiration from their own interests when creating their paintings. Her piece, Seabreeze, depicts a woman in a swimsuit and a sarong, relaxing on the beach and will be displayed on the bin directly in front of .

“I like art and fashion, so for me, that spot was perfect,” she said. “It’s really great to just be able to do what I love.”

Other paintings portray surfers, ocean views, marine life, and beach-goers. They will be on display throughout the year, adding subtle hints of artistry across town. The La Jolla Art Association Gallery also displays artist work year-round and offer art education programs to promote the arts in Southern California.

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