By Sara Beth Williams–
Two new murals have been added to Sylvan Corners in an unveiling of a new local arts district.
Local muralist Amie Nowell spent last week and over the weekend painting a large-scale mural on the wall of Ciro’s Pizza, officially unveiling the new “CH40 Arts District”, an arts initiative spearheaded by Citrus Heights Arts founder GiGi Rayford.
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.
“Now we get to show the world how awesome we are,” Nowell told a local news station while finishing up the final touches on the mural.
A second mural was added by an artist who goes by “MAMMXTH”, pronounced Mammoth, painted on the wall of DarkHeart Brewing over the weekend. The smaller mural showcases in bright colors what the corner of Sylvan Road and Auburn Boulevard could have looked like in the past when Highway 40 was still operational. Mammoth told local news outlets he tries to add historic or unique elements to all his pieces and spent time researching by looking at past photographs.
Monday morning, Rayford, Nowell, Mammoth, and councilmember Porsche Middleton spoke with local news outlets about the new district, saying that the new murals give viewers a chance to connect with and learn about Highway 40, also known as Lincoln Highway, a trans-continental highway which follows Auburn Boulevard. The new arts district is modeled after the 40 West Arts District in Denver, Colorado, which is also located on the Highway 40 route.
Mammoth’s and Nowell’s murals are two of 11 planned murals for Auburn Boulevard, according to Rayford, who said she anticipates the murals to be completed by October. Rayford said Nowell will paint another, but the location was not yet available.
Related: New mural underway at Sylvan Corners – Citrus Heights Sentinel
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