CARLSBAD — The city of Carlsbad heard two proposals for how best to transform a freeway underpass into an artistic celebration of the community’s story.
The public art project along Chestnut Avenue, where the roadway passes beneath Interstate 5, is a partnership between the city and Caltrans. It is funded as a capital improvement project for $400,000, according to city documents.
Krystal Roa, program manager for public art, told the Arts Commission on Sept. 4 that Greenmeme, a Los Angeles-based team of artists Freyja Bardell and Brian Howe, will continue gathering community input to present a refined concept in November. The goal is to seek City Council approval in early 2026.
Roa said the project aims to reflect Carlsbad’s history and character in a way that fits the space. The art will avoid text, logos, reflective materials or other distractions for motorists passing under I-5.
Howe, who also serves as creative director of Greenmeme, said the vision is to turn the retaining walls into an experiential piece that “takes on the totality of both walls” rather than isolating artwork in the corners.
Howe said the design would incorporate what his team learned at community outreach events in April, May and June. One approach, Howe said, was to ask Carlsbad residents how they greeted one another to understand the community’s sense of place.
Commissioner Angie Ferone said Greenmeme had “done a fantastic job” with community outreach and feedback.
Commissioner Barbara Chung said she appreciated the idea of using the entire underpass corridor.
Both proposals are rooted in telling a color story that incorporates the beaches, flowers and native shrublands to create a topographical depiction of Carlsbad. Howe said the color palette would move from land to sea as the underpass runs east to west.
Greenmeme’s Bardell said the first proposal would feature paint swatches inspired by iconic city features, layered with silhouettes of community members. Stripes of colors representing beaches, flower fields and city landmarks would be overlaid with silhouettes of pets, surfers, workers and others who make Carlsbad unique.
Another concept centered on community hats. Bardell said her team was inspired by a photo of workers in wide-brim hats rising above a flower field, calling it a poetic visualization of the different impacts people have in their familial, social and professional lives. The piece would use silhouettes of local hats in colors inspired by Carlsbad.
“It made us think about what hats symbolize and how we can find ourselves often wearing multiple hats,” Bardell said. She added that she was also inspired by hats from the Carlsbad Barrio Museum.
Howe said the hat cutouts would be made of different materials and layered to create shadows and an abstract appearance when viewed from a distance.
No final decision was made on which concept to pursue. Greenmeme will continue gathering community input as it refines both proposals before returning to the Arts Commission in November.
