The statues, murals, shrines, unique homes and other forms of free public art sprinkled across Marin are now compiled in an interactive online map launched last week by the county’s Department of Cultural Services. Navigable by town, art type and artist, the map aims to show the provenance, evolution and location of public art. It also shows where to find museums and nonprofits across the county that promote film, theater, art, music and arts education.
“Public art is a powerful catalyst for all that we cherish and aspire to in Marin,” said Gabriella Calicchio, director of the Department of Cultural Services. “It can enhance and express a unique communal identity, deepen our attachment to place, promote civic dialogue and cross-cultural understanding, and enliven our public spaces. We hope people use this new tool to discover artworks both on and off the beaten path and have a deeper experience and appreciation for art in their own communities.”
The map is part of the county’s nearly decade-long collaboration with nonprofits to make art more accessible and create a lasting framework for Marin’s creative sector, which research shows is fading due to the rising cost of living, declining philanthropic support and lack of coordinated leadership.
Some works are conspicuous, like Amanda Giacomini’s “10,000 Buddhas” mural on a barn outside Point Reyes Station. Others, like Barry Norling’s weathervane of a bear on a bicycle atop the Bear Valley Inn, are hidden in plain sight. For some works, the provenance remains a mystery, like the pirate statue in Dillon Beach, while others were created by famed artists. The inconspicuous murals of two brown horses across from Dixon Marine Services in Inverness were painted in 2002 by the Los Angeles-based sculptor and painter Ruby Rose Neri.
When available, the public art map and database provides references to articles. A link to an SFGate story from 1998 reveals an enthralling history of the Bolinas residents who repainted a mural on the Bolinas Marketin 1998 after nearly two decades of storms and sunny summers degraded the paint to a faded blur.
Among the works featured are Ernesto Sanchez’s “Phone Altar” in Point Reyes Station and “Emergence of the Spirit” shrine in Bolinas, the late “Lefty” Ardnt’s towers of abalone shells in Point Reyes Station, and Gabe Korty’s wooden pyramids at Love Field built for the Parachute Days music festival. Viewers are encouraged to add to the database by filling out a form available on the map.
“We hope to inspire residents to engage with public art in a new way, help share the riches we have in our county, and keep growing the database to serve as the repository for public art in our county for everyone to enjoy,” Ms. Calicchio said.
Besides art works, the map shows arts-and culture-focused nonprofits, from museums and historical societies to David Lee Hoffman’s Last Resort property in Lagunitas and Afsaneh Arts in Woodacre.
The interactive map is the result of several years of planning to increase access to public art—one of three prongs outlined by a steering committee to strengthen Marin’s arts and culture scene.
The committee’s research found that Marin has more artists per capita than any other county in California outside of Los Angeles. Arts businesses and nonprofits contributed over $76 million to the local economy, employed over 1,600 full-time employees and contributed more than $7 million to local and state taxes in 2018. Yet younger artists are increasingly leaving for more affordable counties and urban areas, the committee found.
An arts and culture plan devised in 2019 had three goals: to cultivate and advance Marin as an arts and cultural center, to ensure that Marin’s arts are by and for everyone, and to sustain and grow Marin’s arts resources. The map was developed to increase access for residents and public art. To view it, go to https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/ac913646fe0b4d7aa95e3b646fd7bc15/page/Home/