Neighbors in Atascadero walk past a couple of murals on El Camino Real every day, and now the people behind the art want to add 10 more.
Organizers with the Equality Mural Project say they want to increase representation of people of color and women on the streets and walls of Atascadero.
Zoe Zappas, a committee member, said, “The goal is to make Atascadero cool!”
The Equality Mural Project commissions local artists, as well as people from all over, to plan and paint the murals.
Zappas said, “My idea was to add 10 murals to Downtown Atascadero in the theme of equality.”
She says the project was inspired by two earlier murals that her company, Z Villages, commissioned back in 2017.
She explained, “Public art has this wonderful ability to cut through and allow for people to have curiosity about the subject matter. I think that’s the more important part to me. I want to see the conversations start to happen.”
Organizers said each of the new murals will cost around $5,000 each.
To help pay for it, they held a fundraiser on Friday with live music, a film screening and a panel.
Boardmember Jenny Ashley said, “Have a short panel discussion with some muralists as well as with Alice Street as well as some from equality mural project.”
They raised more than $2,000.
The organization has the designs for the murals already planned out, but is still working to secure some of the locations.
Zappas admitted, “It’s a work in progress finding these walls.”
The first four murals will be finished by the end of the summer. The organization already has the $20,000 for them.
They expect to finish the subsequent six by the end of the year.
Starting this week, one of the artists will begin painting the first of the 10. The mural will depict nature as a source of enjoyment for all and be located at 5760 El Camino Real in Atascadero.