The Santa Maria Sun is a little more colorful these days thanks to artists at the Town Center Gallery, who have given three Sun newspaper racks the artistic touch. The freshly decorated racks join several that were painted last year by art students from Allan Hancock College and placed throughout the city.
Hattie Stoddard, of the Town Center Gallery, said the gallery is excited to be a part of the project.
Martin Johnson, Bev Hoebel, and Claudette Willard each painted one of the current batch of boxes. Johnson’s box features solar images on a blue background, Hoebel painted a farm landscape scene, and Willard went with a modern image of a woman and child.
“We’re always looking for ways to get art out into the community, so when the Sun approached us about participating in this project we thought it would be fun,” Stoddard. “We can’t wait to do more.”
Georgia Shore, general manager of the Sun, said the project is ongoing and Allan Hancock College instructor John Hood and his art students are scheduled to paint more boxes in just a few weeks.
“We’re thrilled to be working with the artists at Town Center Gallery and to be adding public art to our area,” she said. “We hope our readers enjoy picking up the Sun from these newly painted Sun boxes.”
Arts Editor Shelly Cone fills painted boxes with words. Contact her at scone@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Mar 4-11, 2010.
