FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PITTSBURG, CA – The City of Pittsburg has commenced a mural and public arts initiative aimed at improving the aesthetics of the City while honoring the City’s heritage as a hub of arts and artists. The initiative took shape following the completion of a large mural installation along a blank wall of the local ACE Hardware (125 E. Leland Road) by Hermain Ambriz (@herms_one_art). This was soon followed by the completion of a piece by Pittsburg-native and local legend Dr. Ronald McDowell commemorating the rededication of the Marina Community Center (340 Marina Boulevard).
The initiative is highlighted by a partnership between the City and creative agency Local Edition Creative (www.localeditioncreative.com) which commits to at least five additional murals around the East Bay city, two of which are underway in the Old Town area, as well as potential sculpture and interactive installs. Local Edition is renowned in the area for its previous work with the cities of Concord, Walnut Creek, and Mare Island in Vallejo.
“Public art has the ability to bring people together, tell stories about the City, and foster a sense of pride in the community and its people,” says Mayor Juan Antonio Banales. “At the same time, initiatives like this one can serve to create a buzz throughout the region.” Assistant City Manager Maria Aliotti also notes that the initiative is just one of a number of items approved by the City Council in recent years to help beautify the City and support the arts. “This is the logical next step to what this City Council and past Councils have stressed: provide arts and artists opportunities to thrive. It started years ago with the massive renovations to the California Theater, and it continues with programs like this one that serves to create the atmosphere we want to see in Old Town and other areas of the City.”
The current initiative is funded through a $250,000allocation of budget surplus funds by the City Council. In addition to the current initiative, the City and the Pittsburg Arts and Community Foundation (PACF) have begun holding monthly art shows at City Hall, highlighting the works of local artists at the flagship building of the City.
Tellingly, the initiative is being spearheaded by the City’s Economic Development Division, as it is seen as a way to enhance the vitality of commercial areas by making different areas of the City vibrant and walkable, not to mention Instagram-worthy. The hope is that residents and visitors alike venture to areas of the City that would benefit from increased foot traffic. The City is already seeing increased interest in both the initiative and the areas where murals are beginning to be installed, with multiple businesses and property owners inquiring about how to utilize blank spaces for artistic endeavors.
For more information, call the Economic Development Division at (925) 252-4015 or visit pittsburgca.gov.
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About The City of Pittsburg
Incorporated in 1903, Pittsburg is located on the south shore of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta in Northern California, 30 miles east of San Francisco. The City has a population of 77,752, and operates under the council/manager form of government with its own Police, Public Works, Community and Economic Development, Finance, Community Services, and Recreation Departments, as well as its own utility divisions operating as the Pittsburg Power Company and Pittsburg Water. With more than 5,000 new housing units in the development pipeline, as well as large industrial corridors slated for redevelopment, Pittsburg is one of the fastest growing cities in Contra Costa County. For more information, please call the City Manager’s Office at (925) 252-4850.
