New public art in Encinitas

The City of Encinitas funded a public art project in 2018 to create 53 mosaic panels for permanent installation at the redesigned Santa Fe Drive undercrossing as part of the Caltrans and SANDAG Build NCC project. The mosaics were created by Encinitas high school and college students and adult artists. Interested artists submitted applications that were evaluated by the Commission for the Arts and approved by the City Council.

The new public art installation reflects the culture of the five communities of Encinitas. With the theme “Encinitas Up Close,” the mosaics depict local flora and fauna, including people, abstract or representational in form, and are dynamic and distinguishable from a distance.

The mosaic panels, 3’ x 5’ in size, were designed for the north and south walls of the bike and pedestrian lanes to enhance the use by the public. Frames for the mosaics were inset into the undercrossing walls to give the sense of an outdoor art exhibition.

“Wise Tilted Tikis” by artists Fred, Yvette and Marty Hamud, part of the new public art installation at the redesigned Santa Fe Drive undercrossing.

(Jim Gilliam)

“These custom, individual mosaics are a fantastic addition in the City of Encinitas. We are blessed with artistic talent and passion, and being able to harness that creativity into these large displays alongside a new pedestrian and bike path is incredible to see,“ said Encinitas Mayor Catherine Blakespear. For more information, visit: www.encinitasca.gov/publicart

In July 2020, Caltrans and SANDAG completed construction on new bicycle and pedestrian paths under Interstate 5 (I-5) at Santa Fe Drive and Encinitas Boulevard in the City of Encinitas as part of Build NCC. New ADA-compliant sidewalks and dedicated bicycle lanes, separated from traffic by concrete barriers, now line both the north and south sides of each street.

The completion of this project is part of a comprehensive set of Build NCC projects that includes restoring the San Elijo Lagoon, replacing the San Elijo Lagoon highway bridge, constructing one new Carpool/High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lane in each direction on I-5 between Manchester Avenue in Encinitas and Palomar Airport Road in Carlsbad, constructing sound walls, and building the 7-mile North Coast Bike Trail. For more information on Build NCC, visit: www.KeepSanDiegoMoving.com/BuildNCC — City of Encinitas news release