From blight to bright, a busy roadway in Citrus Heights is getting a new splash of color after city leaders voted Wednesday night to create a new art district along a two-mile stretch of Auburn Boulevard.
“We need this,” said Gigi Rayford, executive director of the community group Citrus Heights Arts. “We need a cultural artistic heartbeat in Citrus Heights.”
Rayford is leading the effort to beautify the boulevard. The idea includes a series of public art murals painted on the walls of local businesses.
“It brings joy,” Rayford said. “A lot of people are coming into our city just to take pictures with the murals.”
Darkheart Brewing is one of the businesses that has added murals, and manager Hollie Doty said it’s helping attract new customers.
“I think it’s created a destination spot,” Doty said.
City leaders say a similar art district in Colorado sees more than 100,000 annual visitors. Some of the new public art is inspired by the city’s past, like images of citrus groves and roadway signs from back when Auburn Boulevard was part of the historic Lincoln Highway.
The city council has not allocated any money yet to the new district, but future art projects could be eligible for economic development grants.
Supporters would also like some of the vacant boulevard buildings turned into galleries, artist workspaces and performance spaces.
“Art can be dance, theater. I would love for it to expand to those art forms as well,” said Citrus Heights Vice Mayor Marijane Lopez-Taff.
Citrus Heights has also transformed its city hall into a public art gallery with paintings, sculptures, and other pop-up exhibits.