Proposed Community Plaza on Linden Avenue

Introduction

Carpinteria has a heartbeat forged from the people who have made it their home.  It started with the Chumash, then in succession the Spaniards, Californios, American Settlers, Mexican Americans, Japanese Americans, Dust Bowl Americans, Italian and a mix of other ethnic Americans and the Dutch.  Together they created a unique cultural identity in the Carpinteria Valley.

 The mural panels proposed by the Carpinteria Cultural Foundation (CCF) depict each phase of Carpinteria’s past chronologically.  The completed project will serve as a MONUMENT to the Carpinteria Valley with its history, cultural markers, and as an educational tool for the community and visitors alike.

CCF’s model is in the tradition of other cities that have already enshrined their cultural identities, for example, the Mural Room at the Santa Barbara Courthouse by Daniel Sayre Groesbeck, or the Los Angeles Public Library by Dean Cornwell (“Four Great Eras of California History”).  Award-winning Rick Sharp, a longtime Carpinteria resident, has been commissioned by the CCF to create what will surely be the next Jewel of the South Coast of California.

The Community Plaza Proposal

The Carpinteria Cultural Foundation’s (CCF) first choice for a monument placement is the Community Plaza on Linden Avenue.  This would give the plaza a facelift without changing any of its original components or design.  The proposal’s first choice reflects the historical significance of Linden Avenue as the centerpiece of Carpinteria Downtown, a role it has held and fulfilled since the Southern Pacific Railroad established its depot on Linden Avenue in 1887.

CCF’s proposal is the creation of ten 2 1/2’ x 4’ mural panels depicting the people who chose to live and stay in Carpinteria from the Chumash period to the last migrating group, the Dutch, in 1967.  The 10th and last panel will represent the cultural identification of today’s Carpinterians. The mural panels will occupy the empty space above the back curved wall and under the ramada of the plaza, aligned in a chronological fashion, painted in color by esteemed local artist Rick Sharp. Each panel will be spaced 6” under the ramada and 6” above the wall and separated from each other by about 1 ½ ‘.  The open spacing will respect the natural beauty of the ramada and curved wall. The historical images will be selected by the CCF, comprised of members with deep Carpinteria roots.  They are Richard Medel, president, Dr. Jim Campos, Dr. Jesus J. Gonzales, Mike Damron and Adriana Gonzalez Smith.  The foundation is assisted in their choices by a group of historical advisors.  They are Dr. Stephen Bates, Tim Bliss, Jonathan Brown, John Fukasawa Jr., Esq, Brent Winebrenner, Dr. Jayme Yahr & the Carpinteria Valley Museum of History.

The CCF notes that the Community Plaza, while kept clean, is showing its age.  With the consent of the City, the CCF would like to add a maintenance fund, to restore and maintain the luster of the seal fountain itself, and the plaques that surround it.

The materials to be used for the project are:  1/8” thick aluminum composite panel sheets. The aluminum can bend to give the 10 mural panels a seamless look as they curve around the ramada and wall.  The framing will be the same green color as the existing ramada, and mural panel colors, and style, will resemble the Ayala Grapevine tile art that already adorns the plaza.  “Carpinteria” lettering could be added above the tiled art either hand-painted or tiled.  Please see the FAQ sheet for this proposal to visualize the scope of the project and directions for hanging and attaching the mural panels.

The panels chronologically are 1) The Chumash 2) The Spanish Exploration and the naming of Carpinteria, 3) The Californios 4) The American Pioneer Settlers 5) The re-emergence of the Spanish-speaking people, i.e., the Mexican Americans 6) The Japanese Americans & re-emergence after Internment, 7) The Dust Bowl Americans, 8) The Italian Americans 9) The Dutch, and 10) How the groups have come together to influence present day Carpinteria.

The CCF will absorb all costs of the proposal.

CCF Community Plaza Panel Mural Project FAQ

The Community Plaza Mural Panel proposal is for establishing a monument to Carpinteria on Linden Avenue at the Seal Fountain. It is subject to approval by the Carpinteria City Council. If approval is not granted, another site is available to the Carpinteria Cultural Foundation (CFF). The alternate site is on land not subject to City Council for approval. It is in a great location but is a second choice for CCF.  The historical value of Linden Avenue at the Seal Fountain is our first choice. It has been the center of Carpinteria since 1887 with the coming of the railroad, and the Plaza is on land donated to the City of Carpinteria by the community in 1993 by Ralph and Betty Brown. It is the perfect location for establishing a Monument to our city and the greater Carpinteria Valley. We believe it would also be an appropriate and kind gesture for Betty Brown to see in her lifetime.

How many panels will grace the Community Plaza commissioned by CCF?

Ten panels are envisioned.  Nine of them, in chronological order, will represent the most significant of the groups settling in the Carpinteria Valley.  A tenth panel, the final one in the progression, will represent the cultural identity that has resulted from the many groups that have evolved to this day. It will serve to bring the murals together highlighting Carpinteria achievements by the community’s civic groups and others like Carpinteria Beautiful, Seal Watch and the Carpinteria Cultural Foundation.

How will the mural panels be mounted?

The panels will be mounted to the existing bars of the pergola/ramada that hold up the grapevine.  The panels will be slightly behind the light fixtures that sit on the retaining wall.  They will be bolted on to the bars to prevent the panels from swaying.  See Rick Sharp’s installation diagram (Figure 1) below.

How will the community know what each panel represents?

One or two scrolls per panel will give a brief description of the era represented for each individual mural. A QR code will be available near the panels directing viewers to the CCF website where the details for each of the mural panels will be described in depth.  

How will CCF ensure that each of the panels is historically accurate?

The CCF board and its advisors are comprised of several Carpinteria historians, for example, Dr. Stephen Bates, Dr. Jim Campos, Dr. Jesus J. Gonzales and Jonathan Brown, among others.  The information given will be accurate using historical documents, texts and community interviews.  As new facts are uncovered, the scrolls and the QR code information can be easily updated.

What if the panels are graffitied, fade from exposure to the weather and sun, or require updating? 

The panels will be coated with UV coating. Graffiti can be washed off. Also, the panels have been made by artist Rick Sharp using a dye sublimation process.  The original creation of each panel will be on a palette of 2’ x 3’ on computer that can be reproduced to any size, from postcard to the 2 1/2’ x 4’ panels anticipated, and beyond. If fading occurs, or if facts on the scrolls require updating, each of the panels can be updated and reproduced.

Will changes be made to the Community Plaza as it currently exists?

There will be no changes made to the Community Plaza as it now exists, except that it will be given a facelift by the mural panels that the CCF wishes to donate. The mural panels will turn the Community Plaza into a Carpinteria monument telling the history of the Carpinteria Valley through the major groups of people settling in it.  The monument will be along the lines of the “Mural Wall” at the Santa Barbara Courthouse and the “Four Eras of California History” at the Los Angeles Public Library.