By Sara Beth Williams–
After years of vision and persistence, a new Citrus Heights Arts District is becoming a reality, beginning with the creation of a large-scale mural on the side wall of a business at Sylvan Corners.
Spearheaded by Citrus Heights Arts founder Gigi Rayford, the new arts district and mural project is a vibrant step forward in defining the city’s creative identity, according to Rayford.
“We’ve been working on this for about three years now,” said Rayford, who was first inspired to create an arts district after visiting a National Neighborhoods USA (NUSA) conference. Rayford also recently visited several arts districts in the Denver, Colorado area, following the City Council’s visit to Belmar Shopping District, and said visiting the 40 West Arts District was “phenomenal” and reminded her of Auburn Boulevard.
The 40 West Arts District was once a vacant shopping center revitalized by the Lakewood West Colfax Business Improvement District. The arts district is located on U.S. Route 40 (Lincoln Highway)—an international highway that passes through Citrus Heights with a western terminus in San Francisco, California.
The new arts district founded by Citrus Heights Arts, named CH40 Arts District, will begin at Sylvan Corners with another mural planned for one of DarkHeart Brewing’s walls, the brewery owner confirmed Wednesday. Rayford has plans for 11 large-scale murals total that will span along Auburn Boulevard, reaching the future gateway arch planned for the northern city limits.
Amie Nowell, a local artist and founder of The Healing Palette, has been commissioned for at least two murals, Rayford said, and began painting the first on Wednesday. Nowell, who painted a 41-foot mural at the corner of Oak Avenue and Wachtel Way in Citrus Heights almost a year ago, returned from studying at the University of Hawaii to paint the first mural for the new arts district. Nowell said the mural should be complete by next week.
“We’re building a legacy project here,” Rayford emphasized, adding that Citrus Heights Arts is covering the cost of most supplies needed. “We are building positivity, we’re building art, something that people can appreciate.”
DarkHeart Brewing owner Cynthia Lee said the space in front of both DarkHeart Brewing and Ciro’s Pizza will be transformed with a shared patio, railing, a wall with greenery, and another wall with a mural painting. The anticipated timeline for the completion of the patio upgrade was not immediately known, but the space between the two businesses has already been updated with new patio furniture and restriping of the parking area as of Wednesday, June 11. A second phase of updating is expected at a later date.
All 11 murals are expected to be completed by October, in time for Citrus Heights Arts’ annual Art Beat celebration.
