A black-and-white mural on the side of Village Creative showcases artists and musicians, seen here on July 28, 2026.
Leila Touati
ltouati@thetribunenews.com
A historic building got a glow up this week with a new painted mural in San Luis Obispo County.
On the walls of Village Creative in Arroyo Grande, a black-and-white mural this week was being painted to represent the business’ music, art and sewing lessons offered inside.
“We wanted to have a mural to represent arts and the creative vibe of the Village,” owner Emily Bechtel told The Tribune. “There’s a lot of creativity in the Village, which is more than just our business. There’s an art gallery down here, there’s the photography business, there’s live music everywhere.”
Emily Bechtel owns Village Creative, where a new mural is being painted to represent artists in the community of Arroyo Grande, seen here on July 28, 2026. Leila Touati ltouati@thetribunenews.com
The mural was designed over one year ago by Canned Pineapple, a group of artists based in San Luis Obispo and Nashville, who have also painted murals by the post office in downtown SLO, the SLO Public Market, High Street Deli and Scout Coffee.
“I wanted something that’s timeless, and I wanted it to feel a little bit antique, like how the Village kind of feels old-fashioned,” Bechtel said. “I wanted it to be similar to art you might see from the ‘50s where it’s a little bit dated. Each person on the mural is like doing a craft or doing their artwork.”
Painting business Canned Pineapple paints the mural on the side of Village Creative’s building, seen on July 28, 2026. Leila Touati ltouati@thetribunenews.com
The newest mural in town is on a historic building that dates back to nearly seven decades.
Bechtel’s grandfather built the building at 227 E. Branch St. in the 1960s, which housed his law firm Michael E. Zimmerman Inc., which was passed down to Bechtel’s father.
Village Creative first opened in the building in December 2019, then renovated in 2021 and fully expanded to the entire building in 2024. Music classes, sewing lessons and art lessons are all offered inside the business.
The mural painted on the side of Village Creative in Arroyo Grande is set to be complete on Wednesday, seen here on July 28, 2026. Leila Touati ltouati@thetribunenews.com
The black-and-white mural on the side of Village Creative showcases a trumpet player, a girl operating a sewing machine, a boy playing an electric guitar, a painter, a photographer and a piano player.
“You don’t have to have a big name to be important in your community and to make a difference in your community,” Bechtel said. “I think it’s just the normal people that are just putting their art out there and sharing their gifts. That’s what makes our community really special.”
Related Stories from San Luis Obispo Tribune
Leila Touati is a reporter for The Tribune. She covers business and change in SLO County communities. She is from the Bay Area and finishing her journalism degree at Cal Poly. In her free time, Leila enjoys coding and baking.