Public Art Plan Seeks to Beautify Petaluma

When Ricky Watts climbed up the side of the Phoenix Theater and spray painted a five-story mural with the boldest colors imaginable, he set a new standard for public art in Petaluma.

There were detractors, to be sure, grumbling that the undulating ribbons of purple, red and orange leading to some far off castle in the sky were a poor fit for the historic downtown. But many more have welcomed the new addition to Petaluma’s cityscape, calling it fresh, exciting and yes, experimental.

You can expect to see more public art projects in the coming years, especially once the city adopts the Arts and Culture Master Plan going before the Planning Commission Tuesday.

Five years in the making, the plan will guide how developer fees are used to beautify Petaluma's shopping centers, plazas, parks and highway overpasses.

“Public art enhances the cultural richness of a city and we want more of it around town,” said Annee Knight, chair of the Public Art Committee. “This is an exciting time because finally the city has some money to work on projects and this provides the framework going forward.”

The committee researched public art plans from around the country to come up with Petaluma's blueprint and has already collected $260,000 for projects. Once the plan is implemented, the committee will begin to put out calls for proposals for different projects via the city’s website and at the Petaluma Arts Center. 

The Petaluma Arts Center is also planning a forum to introduce the plan to the community. 

Tell us: What kind of art would you like to see in town?