Avila Beach Community Foundation and ARTS Obispo
Announce Winner of Public Art Commission
*Winning Project will be the First Public Art Installation on
Lifeguard Towers in San Luis Obispo (SLO) County
Avila Beach, CA - May 23, 2016 - The Avila Beach Community Foundation and ARTS Obispo announced today that San Luis Obispo-based fine artist and muralist Colleen Gnos has been selected as the winner of the Downtown Avila Beach Public Art Competition. The project was commissioned by the Avila Beach Community Foundation in response to community interest in the arts and to further enhance the beauty and character of Downtown Avila Beach. The Foundation partnered with ARTS Obispo to manage and facilitate the selection process.
Artists were given a choice of multiple locations and surfaces from which to choose for their proposal. Colleen selected the two lifeguard towers on either side of the Avila Beach Pier. Her proposal entails the painting of murals on the towers depicting a historical tapestry from Avila's past as a fishing village on "Tower 1" and its future as a scenic eco-tourist destination on "Tower 2" bridging the gap between "Old Avila" and "New Avila". Not only will the tower murals be educational and create a welcoming focal point on the beach for visitors and locals alike, they will also be the FIRST public art installation on lifeguard towers in San Luis Obispo County. The installation is projected to be completed by the end of 2016 and will conclude with an unveiling and celebration.
Input from the community will play a part in the final design of the murals. Regular progress updates will be provided and social media, including a dedicated Facebook page for the project, will be used extensively to generate excitement throughout the community.
"ARTS Obispo is proud of its legacy of advancing the visual, literary and performing arts in San Luis Obispo County. One of our goals is to facilitate and promote new public art around the county, and we are delighted to have had the opportunity to partner with the Foundation and the local artist community to bring this project to fruition," according to Angela Tahti, Executive Director of ARTS Obispo.
"We were extremely pleased with the caliber of proposals submitted and it was a very tough decision for the Selection Panel," according to Rick Cohen, Executive Director of the Avila Beach Community Foundation. He added "I also want to commend all of the parties that helped make the project a reality. This was truly a stellar example of teamwork between the Foundation, ARTS Obispo, Port San Luis Harbor District, the County of San Luis Obispo, the Selection Panel and our generous sponsors Chevron, PG & E and the Sara Horne Art Fund."
About Colleen Gnos
San Luis Obispo based fine artist, muralist and sculptor Colleen Gnos, is best known on the Central Coast for painting sumptuous, gold-scaled mermaids on surfboards or her idyllic scenes of surfers and breaking waves. She studied art formally for a year in Florence, Italy. This training is evident in the classical human forms, realistic backgrounds and carefully mixed hues of her artwork. For more information about Colleen Gnos visit
www.colleengnos.com
About Avila Beach Community Foundation
Founded in 1998, the Avila Beach Community Foundation is a charitable non-profit organization that was created to accept donations and fund projects for the enhancement and betterment of the Avila Beach community. In its 15+ years of grant making the Foundation has awarded and helped distribute nearly $3 million to benefit over 140 Avila Beach projects and organizations. For more information about the Foundation visit
www.avilabeachfoundation.org
.
About ARTS Obispo
ARTS Obispo is the San Luis Obispo County Arts Council. Founded in 1981, ARTS Obispo, a nonprofit State-Local Partner of the California Arts Council, advances visual, literary and performing arts and celebrates culture and heritage countywide. Visit www.artsobispo.org for public program information.
Photo Caption - Colleen Gnos holding a painting representing the style of art planned for the lifeguard tower depicting Avila's past.
