One of Santa Barbara's busiest intersections is about to get a colorful makeover that could also make it safer for pedestrians and cyclists.
The intersection of Carrillo and State streets sees an average of 15,000 vehicles and 10,000 pedestrians pass through each day, according to the city. Soon, the area will be transformed through art and safety improvements.
Santa Barbara was selected as one of 10 cities worldwide to receive the Bloomberg Asphalt Art Initiative grant, which seeks to improve pedestrian and cyclist safety through public art projects.
"This is an opportunity for us to really pilot what separating pedestrian and bicycle space looks like on State Street itself with artwork," said Tess Harris, State Street Master Planner.
The $100,000 Bloomberg grant will be matched by the city, county, and private donors for a two-year pilot project.
"Our hope is that after the two-year window, we see how it goes — everyone loves it and it can be replicated in other places, or we can extend it," said Sarah York Rubin, Santa Barbara County Executive Director of Arts and Culture.
The project will highlight Santa Barbara's connection with Mexican culture through the work of textile artist Eddy Jimenez, who was chosen by the city as one of two artists working on the installation.
"I was born in Oaxaca and I learned to weave from my grandfather. He flipped over a chair, and basically, chairs in Oaxaca are constructed in a way where they have a square shape at the bottom, and he just tied strings across," Jimenez said.
For Jimenez, the project is about more than just creating beautiful street art; it's about bringing people together.
"When we think about that word 'community,' it's really a culmination of people coming together with different stories, with different ideas, different traditions, different beliefs. And when everyone comes together, that's really what community is about," he said.
The installation is expected to be completed by the spring of 2026.
