Taking Art to the Street: In Redwood City, a Bridge Wrapped in Light and Color

Redwood City - Look up on Winslow Street in downtown Redwood City and you'll see it: a bridge once the color of Sahara sand, now awash in blues and greens, a burst of sun at its center.

The mural, "Contemplative Canopy," spans the walkway linking the Hall of Justice and the county jail - a corridor long used to move inmates between the two buildings. For decades it stood as a blunt passage over a downtown street. Now it feels lighter, even hopeful.

"When I do site-specific work, I want it to belong to its place," said Kseniya Makarova, the muralist behind the transformation.

"This mural couldn't exist anywhere else. It's about the trees in Redwood City, the light, the buildings right there," she said. "My goal was for the bridge to almost fade away, to blend into the sky and feel calm rather than heavy."

Makarova, who grew up in Belmont, was chosen through a competitive process run by the San Mateo County Office of Arts and Culture in partnership with the Redwood City Arts Commission, Redwood City Parks and Art Department, City of Redwood City and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.

Makarova's mural is also a bridge to what comes next: Mural Madness, a live competition spotlighting emerging Bay Area artists at the County's September Arts & Culture Fest. Participants will paint side by side for a chance to see their work installed permanently in downtown San Mateo.

"Public art has the power to transform our shared spaces. Artists give us the opportunity to experience beauty in our everyday surroundings, often when we least expect it," said Aimee Shapiro, the executive director of the County's Office of Arts and Culture.

"Contemplative Canopy brightens the space between these two County buildings, drawing one's eye above to the bridge, then encouraging us to look further into the sky, clouds, and canopy of trees around us," Shapiro said.

Makarova's vision - aspirational, a visual nudge to look skyward - was printed on vinyl that now wraps both sides of the bridge. Her design draws inspiration from the leafy canopy on Redwood City's side streets, the rigid lines of the Hall of Justice and the need to soften the walkway's steel mass.

Makarova credits her parents, Russian immigrants, both scientists, for encouraging her to pursue her passion in the arts, something she acknowledges is unusual. Her brother also pursued a creative career in sound design. "They supported us fully, and that gave me the confidence to make a life in art."

Public art, she believes, carries special weight. "It's meaningful to put art into public space where absolutely anyone can enjoy it," she said. "This bridge didn't have to be anything. But the County and the Arts Commission saw an opportunity. That shows a real commitment to people and culture."

To celebrate the mural's completion, the Office of Arts and Culture will host a public event on Wednesday, Sept. 17, at 10 a.m. on the Hall of Justice side of Winslow Street, between Marshall and Bradford streets.

Makarova will attend, along with representatives from the many partners who helped bring the project to life.

"It was a huge team effort," Makarova said. "But the result is something uplifting - proof that even a utilitarian walkway can become a moment of beauty."

Next up: The celebration continues Sept. 28 with Mural Madness, the new live competition for emerging Bay Area muralists. Painting will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Baldwin Avenue at B Street in San Mateo.

Artists with three or fewer completed murals are invited to apply, and festivalgoers will vote for their favorite design. The winning artist will be commissioned to paint a permanent mural in San Mateo.

Effie Milionis Verducci

Interim Director of Strategic Communications

[email protected]