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If Winslow Street in downtown Redwood City looks a little different to you now, that’s because it is. The utilitarian, cream-colored bridge that connects the Hall of Justice to the Maguire Correctional Facility is monochrome no more.
Four years ago, County Executive Officer Mike Callagy contemplated the drab bridge and wondered if it could become the county’s next public art project. He floated the vision by Deputy County Attorney Lauren Carroll, who he said helped make the mural materialize.
Seeing as the bridge connects the court with the jail, bridging “rehabilitation” with “justice,” Callagy felt the artwork on it should convey “brighter days ahead.”
The San Mateo County Office of Arts and Culture, Redwood City Arts Commission, Redwood City Parks and Art Department, City of Redwood City and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative all partnered to bring a pop of color to the relatively achromatic street, calling for artwork that would foster a “lively and welcoming presence.”
That’s when Kseniya Makarova stepped up.
A traditional muralist and graphic designer from Belmont, Makarova submitted five proposals with ideas for the public art piece. One involved climate data (in reference to Redwood City’s “Climate Best By Government Test” slogan) and another, local wildflowers.
Ultimately, her design of a cool-colored canopy before a soft sky with a sunburst at the center won out, titled “Contemplative Canopy.” Inspired by Redwood City’s leafy trees, which are often illuminated by beams of sunlight, the artist wanted to bring the city’s distinctive nature to its otherwise offish street. Redwood City is named for its trees after all.
The symbolism behind mirroring the city’s trees and heavenly sunrays is no coincidence, especially the solar spark in the center of the piece. San Mateo County District 4 Board Supervisor Lisa Gauthier said it “reminds us of hope,” especially at the connection of two buildings “not usually associated with hope.”
“Art is not just for decoration,” Gauthier said. “In a time when life pushes us to keep moving, art dares us to pause.”
Stakeholders came together Wednesday morning to celebrate the installation of the mural. Callagy, Gauthier, Makarova and San Mateo County Executive Director of Arts and Culture Aimee Shapiro, along with the chair of the Redwood City Arts Commission Anna Westendorf, all spoke before the crowd of about 15.
Makarova designed the mural digitally, which was then made into a vinyl wrap by Rally Graphic Wraps. She’s really pleased with the end result, which “melts into the sky,” just as she had imagined.
“It was a perfectly functional bridge that didn’t need to have art on it,” the artist told the crowd. “But we dared to ask ‘what if?’ and ‘how do we make this better?’ That’s how we bring positive change in the community.”
