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Art by RHAA, Melissa Marzan, and Idea Fab Labs

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"Santa Cruz, Where Nature is Home" by Melissa Marzan and Idea Fab Labs

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"Santa Cruz, Where Nature is Home" by Melissa Marzan and Idea Fab Labs

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With this sign, instead of the typical “Welcome to [Insert City Here]” verbiage, this sign would say “Santa Cruz,

where nature is home”. Santa Cruz is home to a diverse natural landscape from the ocean to redwoods, and

everything in between.

This would provide those who visit or come back home to Santa Cruz, right when they get off the 17, to see

something that celebrates some of the incredible things this city is proud of.

The typography/lettering of the sign pulls inspiration from vintage postcard designs, hand lettered by me, with

hand-painted, iconic Santa Cruz County landscapes/images, overlaid with die-cut wood pieces artfully put together, to create a sense of life and vibrancy through each individual letter.

The symbolism behind this idea is that through the diverse ecosystem provided by this land, it also created a diverse community that supports each other, are stronger together. The sum is greater than its parts. Through our unique attributes as a community, together, we all make Santa Cruz our home.

The illustrative elements of this sign will include:

- Redwood trees to celebrate our substantial forests

- Train track bridge as a nod to the trains & railroads in the city

- Banana slug to symbolize the University of California, Santa Cruz

- Monarch butterflies in their full life cycle to celebrate not only the monarch migration, but also to

symbolize the generations of families that have lived in Santa Cruz.

- A faux redwood surfboard to recognize our thriving watersport/outdoor activity culture, and to also

celebrate a moment in history to honor the three Hawaiian princes Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole, David

Kawānanakoa, and Edward Keliʻiahonui, who introduced the sport of surfing to the city of Santa Cruz in

1885, building their surfboards out of redwoods

- Great Blue Heron with one of the San Lorenzo Bridges and river in the background, to honor the San

Lorenzo River

- Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk elements like the Sky Glider & Big Dipper.

- Harbor seals, beneath the pier

- And the most important part of this sign will be a hummingbird, which will pay homage to the Amah

Mutsun indigenous lands that Santa Cruz is built upon alongside the california poppy, our state flower

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Art by RHAA and Chris Mosley AKA Mozeart Designz.

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Installation would include a variety of animals on both sides of the street crafted of recycled glass, metal, and with integrated lighting. Additional ground plane mosaic and monument signage are also proposed.

"In our artistic vision, glass will be utilized in the form of mosaic beach glass for signage on the entrance wall constructed from hempcrete, proudly welcoming visitors to Santa Cruz. Recycled bottles will be ingeniously repurposed into illuminating elements for street lamps. Given Santa Cruz's unique setting, where the ocean meets the forest, we plan to construct a captivating oceanic scene on the west wall. This installation will feature a diverse array of marine life, including fish, whales, seals, otters, and birds, all meticulously crafted using found objects and glass collected from the local community.On the eastfacing wall, our endeavor is to create a harmonious representation of a natural forest habitat. The scene will come alive with depictions of deer, rabbits, squirrels, birds, and trees, assembled from a medley of materials, including found glass and hempcrete."

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This proposal combines an illustrative, post card style sign (Melissa Marzan) with naturalistic glass animals crafted from recycled materials (Chris Mosley)

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Cadence is a perceptually interactive gateway piece whose imagery shifts as viewers seek different vantage points. A collection of panels are configured such that their negative space captures outlines of figures when adjacent panels’ edges align. These figures come in and out of discernment as one drives along the expanse of the artwork. This fleeting experience creates a dynamic experience of signifying change and mobility.

Representing the activities and culture of Santa Cruz, these figures take the viewer from city life to the beach as one enters town. A musician carries a guitar, a young woman gazes at birds in the sky, an older gentleman saunters

along, a child flies a kite, another child plays at the beach, a sea lion lounges, and a surfer looks out at the ocean. As one leaves Santa Cruz towards the mountains, another vignette of 3 panels presents a mountain bicyclist and a hiker. Together these two artworks bracket the experience and vibrancy of Santa Cruz.

The color palette consists of four powder-coat finishes. It is drawn from the colors of the Santa Cruz landscape- the ground, sky, and natural vegetation.

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Entering the gateway to Santa Cruz will be a magical experience as giant mushrooms personify both the wonder of nature and our uniquely creative community. The future looks bright for these fungi sprouting up from dark places and subtly transforming the world around us. Santa

Cruz has long been perceived as a hub of progressive thinking. What better icon to represent tapping limitless potential than an organism so old that it precedes even land plants yet is currently revolutionizing human creativity and innovation. Mushrooms have bloomed in popularity

as they steadily gain the spotlight for holding the key to “the future of sustainability.” From earth friendly alternatives to plastic packaging, textiles, construction materials and factory farmed food to overcoming environmental challenges as the “great recyclers of the planet. “

Recycledelic is a project that references Santa Cruz’s colorful history while celebrating a mind set which is most likely to lead us through challenges to come. The spirit of open mindedness necessary to rise to the challenges of the future most certainly resides here in Santa Cruz! Mushrooms possess a vast network of connections beneath the ground with an unlimited potential to transform and heal. They are an emblem for the strength of our community. Santa Cruz holds nature close to its heart and draws inspiration from its environment while taking pride in protecting it. Visitors come here to enjoy our diverse landscape and tap into this spirit of renewal. Mushrooms are an iconic symbol for transformation through nature. They speak so eloquently to the Santa Cruz Experience. The title Recycledelic simultaneously plays on the concept of recycling (mushrooms are known as nature’s recyclers) and the material from which the sculptures are made.(Reclaimed material gleaned in collaboration with our diversely creative community) Each of the ten giant mushrooms will vary in form, genus and size.

Light emanating from inside each mushroom will activate the richly patterned surface and enliven the form.

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"Ocean Street Welcome Arch" by Tom Ralston

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"Ocean Street Welcome Arch" by Tom Ralston

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Currently, as visitors drive into Santa Cruz on Ocean Street, they see banners depicting surfers. Santa Cruz has a rich history of surfing starting in 1885 when the 3-Princes came and surfed here.

The Welcome to Santa Cruz Arch shouts “Surf City” and will embrace our Cultural Identity. It will be both a distinguished monument and a tourist attraction.

As our bronze surfer at the top of the arch slashes a cutback through bronze seaweed he looks directly into Southbound Hwy 17 traffic entering Santa Cruz. Sean Monaghan of the Bronze Works will create and cast this surfer, the bronze seaweed, stalks and bulbs.

The Golden Letters “Welcome to Santa Cruz” will be designed and created by Roy Johnson of Johnson Lighting. The letters will light up each night by solar power which will be created and constructed by Tony Armor of Day One Solar.

The woman surfer and surfboard will be sculpted by Thomas Marsh and Brian W. Curtis. They teamed up to produce the iconic Surfer Statue on Westcliff Drive. She will be placed on a concrete pedestal and have a subtle updraft light to notably feature her at night.

*NOTE: Arch may require additional fundraising which may impact project delivery or timing.

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Art by - Urban Rock Design + Chris Mosley

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COMBO - Cadence + Recycled Glass Animals

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COMBO - Cadence + Recycled Glass Animals

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Proposal combines movement activated metal art panels (Urban Rock Design) with naturalistic glass animals crafted from recycled materials (Chris Mosley)

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This proposal combines a tall bronze entrance arch, designed to celebrate surfing and the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary with its unique kelp motif (Tom Ralston) with naturalistic glass animals crafted from recycled materials (Chris Mosley)

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This proposal combines a tall bronze entrance arch, designed to celebrate surfing and the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary with its unique kelp motif (Tom Ralston) with colorful mushroom sculptures made from recycled materials (Mary Tartaro)

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This proposal combines colorful mushroom sculptures made from recycled materials (Mary Tartaro) with naturalistic glass animals crafted from recycled materials (Chris Mosley)