Lodi Beautiful

Project Lodi Art brings a facelift to Lodi’s city streets

It has long been the mission of the Lodi Arts Commission to bring art in all its forms into Lodi, from open studio tours to downtown art walks to arts education. Now the city itself is getting into the mix as well, with the commencement of this summer’s Project Lodi Art. Sponsored in part by the City of Lodi’s Art in Public Places funds, Lodi residents of all ages were invited to submit artwork to be considered for the city’s parks, streets, and public spaces. The only requirement for entrants, either individuals or groups, was that the design must “celebrate Lodi’s diverse cultural heritage.

The resulting artworks included designs ranging from wine bottles, to sunshine-bathed Lodi landscapes, to multicultural art. After the submissions were publicly displayed during Lodi’s First Friday Art Hop, and twenty-four winners were chosen, the project is now going forward, turning each design into a tiled mosaic that will eventually be laid down on the sidewalks of Lodi. The first place entry, “Born of Earth and Clay” created by Colleen Scott, has now also become the official logo of Project Lodi Art. This design will be featured on all fundraising materials, like shirts and coffee mugs, and for all all future Project Lodi Art events.

The actual assembly of the mosaics has become a neighborhood affair as well. Through public workshops, the community has been instructed how to create mosaics—in essence, work parties to get the mosaics done. “We are so lucky to have one of our commissioners, J. Mark Hamilton, who is a mosaic artist, leading all these workshops,” says Diane Amaral of the Division of Arts and Culture. “Everyone is learning a lot, and we’ve found such a great way to give back to the community and get the community together all at the same time.”

Free mosaic classes have been held throughout the summer, and will continue until the mosaics have all been finished. Materials have been provided by local businesses such as Lodi Tile Works, Waste Management, the Lodi Board of Realtors, and Lowe’s. The artists behind each winning design are encouraged to participate in the creation of their final sidewalk mosaic, and a plaque will be installed next to each mosaic listing the artist or group that submitted the winning design, and any community sponsorship that made the mosaic possible. All mosaics will be laid along East Lodi Avenue.

“We hope to start installing the mosaics as soon as early fall. Everyone is having such a good time with this project from start to finish,” says Amaral. “Everything has been by the community, for the community, and that’s a good feeling.”

For more information: Visit www.lodiarts.org