At the newly renovated Collier Park, the oldest park in La Mesa, the ArtReach Program unveiled its latest community mural, a part of a series of improvements and amenities to encourage more active use by local residents.
The vibrant mural, one of the main elements of this beautification effort was a community-focused effort. ArtReach hosted a community paint day with more than 40 community members coming together to bring the mural to life. La Mesa residents of all ages, including youth from the La Mesa Youth Advisory Commission, members of the La Mesa Arts and Culture Commission, the Community Services Commission, and the La Mesa Park and Recreation Foundation worked together to bring this vision to fruition and beautify this beloved neighborhood park.
Vice-Mayor Laura Lothian helped paint and thanked organizers for their work on La Mesa’s first public mural since the formation of the Arts and Culture Commission and the City’s Public Arts Policy in 2023. The collective effort and creativity of the volunteers has resulted in a stunning piece of art that everyone can enjoy and take pride in during their visits to Collier Park.
ArtReach has always prided itself in creating truly collaborative community driven murals, and for this project, the design process began with an online community input form, where local residents were invited to share their ideas and vision for the mural. Lead artist Lucía Sánchez utilized this input to inform the design of the mural, resulting in a beautiful nature inspired design that highlights local flora and fauna. This collaborative effort ensured that the mural truly reflects the spirit and identity of the La Mesa community.
