SAN DIEGO, Feb. 15, 2024 – A San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) electric substation at the border between the communities of Rolando and College Area was the site of a visual upgrade by a local mural artist. The facility has become a canvas of art for community beautification in San Diego’s Ninth Council District.
This mural which depicts a path weaving through local wildlife, native plants and the hilly neighborhood surroundings of San Diego State University, was commissioned by SDG&E. A ribbon-cutting for the project was held Thursday, with San Diego City Council President Sean Elo-Rivera who represents District 9 where the art installation is located.
“Our beautification projects have always been a source of pride not only for our company but for the communities and neighborhoods that have benefitted from them,” said Estela de Llanos, SDG&E’s Vice President of Land and Environmental Services, and Chief Sustainability Officer. “We look forward to continuing our partnerships with various nonprofit organizations to beautify local neighborhoods with community-based art.”
This project was the result of a community-based collaboration between SDG&E and ArtReach, a nonprofit that ignites youth creativity through visual arts expression and community connection.
“Artists possess a special gift of being able to transform mundane spaces into beautiful reflections of a community’s rich history, culture and diversity,” said Sean Elo-Rivera, San Diego City Council President. “I thank the artist Katy Yeaw, ArtReach for sharing her gift with District 9 and SDG&E for their collaboration.”
The artwork was created by local artist Katy Yeaw in partnership with the ArtReach Mural Program. ArtReach and SDG&E gathered community input through listening sessions on what community members wanted to see reflected in the final mural design. The mural spotlights the historic paseos of the Rolando neighborhood which are the connecting walkways that weave throughout the community. One can find each paseo name referenced in the mural which include Agave, Hummingbird, Coyote, Oranges, Palms, Pines, Parrots, and Falcon.
“ArtReach has been so thrilled to bring community-inspired and painted murals to the College/Rolando Area over the last year,” said Isabel Halpern, ArtReach Mural Program Manager. “We are so thankful to SDG&E for supporting our mission of bringing more visual arts programs to youth at schools all over San Diego County through the funding of this beautification project.”
SDG&E maintains over 160 substations across its service territory. These substations and pad-mounted transformers are critical to our energy delivery system. In certain instances, SDG&E’s infrastructure may be leveraged for community art. In the past five years, SDG&E has beautified a dozen of substations and pad mounts across the service territory, including locations in Vista (Melrose Substation), National City (National City Substation and National City gas riser), Imperial Beach (IB Substation), and Chula Vista (North Otay pad mount). SDG&E has also collaborated with community organizations on utility box beautification, including projects in Imperial Beach, Southeast San Diego, the Convoy District, and East Village.
About SDG&E:
SDG&E is an innovative energy delivery company that provides clean, safe and reliable energy to better the lives of the people it serves in San Diego and southern Orange counties. The company is committed to creating a sustainable future by increasing energy delivered from low or zero-carbon sources; accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles; and investing in innovative technologies to ensure the reliable operation of the region’s infrastructure for generations to come. SDG&E is a subsidiary of Sempra (NYSE: SRE). For more information, visit SDGEnews.com or connect with SDG&E on X (formerly Twitter) (@SDGE), Instagram (@SDGE) and Facebook.
About ArtReach:
ArtReach emerged in 2007 in response to the detrimental effects of budget cuts on arts education. Our founding Artist Residency Program provides the opportunity to work with an artist through in-class visual arts workshops. In 2019, our Mural Program created space for youth to collaborate with professional muralists to transform the walls around them. Most recently, ArtReach launched community programs to serve youth, families, and neighbors with free artist-led workshops during out-of-school hours. In partnership with individuals, businesses, and foundations, ArtReach has empowered over 60,000 youth to find the artist within.