The City of Watsonville has sent out a call to local artists to help create a mural for the new nature center coming to Ramsay Park.
As part of the Ramsay Park Renaissance Project, community members are invited to provide input on the mural design, said Brooke Sampson, Development and Community Outreach Director for Watsonville Wetlands Watch (WWW).
The City of Watsonville, WWW, and Community Arts & Empowerment are collaborating on the design and installation of a mosaic mural for the entrance wall and embellishments along the pathway from the center to the nearby wetland trail, which is scheduled to open in fall 2025.
The mosaics will feature the themes of natural migration and environmental stewardship of the Pajaro Valley and wetlands.
Funding for the projectcomes from the State Coastal Conservancy’s Coastal Stories grant program.
“The aim is to welcome community members to Watsonville’s new Nature Center with a visual narrative of diversity, inclusion, dignity, community, and resilience,” Sampson said. “The project partners are seeking an artist to design images that will be translated into mosaics for the main entrance and pathway.”
Three artists from a pool of applicants will be given a $1,000 stipend for rough designs on the themes. One of the three will be paid $7,000 to respond to community input and refine their designs.
The request for qualifications for artists is available online at watsonvillewetlandswatch.org/rfq.
Responses must be submitted by 5pm on May 1 to wa******************@gm***.com.
Community members are invited to provide input to inform the design. A bilingual survey form is available online at forms.gle/DnLJe6bWiSt6tBSRA. The deadline to respond is May 31.
