August 3 - August 16, 2021
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Buellton murals reminiscent of 1940s travel posters Local parks featured in artwork gracing wall of the Postal Annex building By Raiza Giorgi
publisher@santaynezvalleystar.com
E
very day on her way home from work, Liz Poulin Alvarez would look at the blank wall of the Postal Annex building in Buellton and think to herself it would be a great mural space. Alvarez lives in Solvang and has been the fine arts teacher at Lompoc High School for the past six years. “I got the nerve to present it to the Buellton Arts and Culture Committee, which I also currently serve on, and when it was granted. I got some of my students and local artists to participate,” Alvarez said. Now, as you walk along the west side of the building you see four 8 x 8 foot murals highlighting four of the seven parks located in Buellton: The Santa Ynez Botanic Garden, PAWS Park, River View Park and Zaca Creek Golf Course. Each scene was composed and designed using a composite of several photos and sketches from life, according to Alvarez. “The murals are intended to look like polaroid snapshots of parks around Buellton,” she said. “They are painted using a bright color palette and accented with shadows over a tromp l’oeil painted tile background. Reminiscent of the
The murals on the Postal Annex building highlight four of the seven parks located in Buellton, including the Santa Ynez Botanic Garden.
Photos contributed SYV Teen Arts member Hannah Gechter poses with the PAWS Park mural she helped on.
1940’s style travel posters, they are a reminder of Buellton’s link with the car culture of that time.” Alvarez added she also couldn’t complete the project without the permission of the building owners Lori and Kevin McConnell. “We are thrilled to be a part of this project as
it definitely adds to Buellton,” Lori McConnell said. “We are so happy Buellton is doing so much to promote the arts.” The Buellton Arts and Culture Committee is constantly seeking artists and creative people to apply for grants to create projects to enhance the artistic and/or cultural experiences of the
community. Grant funds may cover the cost of materials, artist time, advertising and print materials, and anything related to the production of a successful arts and culture project. “My goal was to involve the community in an art project whether they had any artistic capability or not, there was a project for every skill level,” Alvarez said. “I had such great local artists like Annie Yakutis, who specializes in grid work and systems to help organize the artwork. MURALS CONTINUED TO PAGE 23
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