The Coast News Group
A new mural of the late Junior Seau greets visitors as they enter Joe Balderrama Park in Oceanside, located in the historic Eastside community where Seau was raised. The former San Diego Charger player who died in 2012 at the age of 43 was known for having a big heart and was a beloved figure in the community. The mural was completed in early December by Ground Floor Murals and joins a series of other new murals lining the walls of park buildings, including the Chavez Resource Center and the Joe Balderrama Recreation Center. Photo by Samantha Nelson
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Murals bring new life to North County cities

REGION — Two North County cities are celebrating their latest public murals that aim to brighten up the local communities and honor beloved figures like the late Junior Seau.

In Oceanside, several murals have taken over the walls surrounding Joe Balderrama Park in the historic 100-year-old Eastside neighborhood.

The city contracted world-renowned muralist Joanne Tawfilis to lead the community mural project at the park, which began with multiple community meetings involving Eastside residents.

The project ultimately brought together 25 volunteer artists and grew to more than 45 murals in the 3.8-acre park, including the exterior walls of the Balderrama Recreation Center next to the Chavez Community Resource Center and comfort station. 

The project took over nine months to complete. 

The “Hope” mural is one of several new murals lining the walls at Joe Balderrama Park in Oceanside’s historic Eastside neighborhood. Courtesy photo.

 

“This project is about bringing the community together and it helped to create new bonds,” Tawfilis said. “It’s about beautifying the neighborhood and reinforcing a sense of pride.”

This is Tawfilis’ second mural project she has completed for Oceanside city parks. Last year, she facilitated another mural project at John Landes Community Center in the Tri City neighborhood.

According to the city, both projects have brought the community together to embrace public art as a means to showcase the unique qualities of both the Eastside and Tri City neighborhoods.

The projects also engaged students from local elementary schools. For example, the large “Hope” mural at Balderrama Park was designed and painted by local kids.

“The murals at Joe Balderrama Park celebrate the rich history of the Eastside neighborhood, creating the beginnings of a cultural arts/historic district – a dream come true,” said Mayor Esther Sanchez, who grew up in the Eastside. “I’m also excited that the city is working with the Crown Heights neighborhood on the next mural project.”

One of the most recent additions to the murals at Joe Balderrama Park depicts the late Chargers star and NFL Hall of Famer Junior Seau. Seau grew up in Oceanside’s Eastside community and went on to play for the San Diego Chargers. He died in 2012 at 43 years old.

A new mural at Joe Balderrama Park features the late Junior Seau, a former San Diego Chargers football player who lived in Oceanside’s historic Eastside community. Photo by Samantha Nelson

Paul Jimenez of GroundFloor Murals is responsible for the new Seau mural.

In Escondido, another North County city with a growing number of public murals, recently welcomed “Hummingbird Jubilee” as its latest installation on the corner of Maple Street Plaza and Grand Avenue in the downtown area.

Local artist Brenda Townsend of Brilliant Spectrum designed and installed the 14-by-100-foot mural, which was funded through public art dollars with approval from the Escondido Public Art Commission.

According to the city, the mural was designed to enhance the plaza, which serves as an important connection to Grape Day Park, the California Center for the Arts, City Hall and Grand Avenue businesses.

Townsend’s vision was inspired by the arts and crafts movement, which emphasizes craftsmanship, simplicity and a deep connection to nature. The mural’s design features vibrant hummingbirds that represent joy, beauty and energy and complements the nearby Maple Street archway.

While working on the mural, Townsend incorporated yellow butterflies that she noticed fluttering around nearby plants.

Brenda Townsend of Brilliant Spectrum designed and installed the 14-by-100-foot “Hummingbird Jubilee” mural on the corner of Maple Street Plaza and Grand Avenue in downtown Escondido. Courtesy photo.

“This mural is intended to provide a fun and colorful, welcoming entrance to Escondido’s Historic Downtown, whether the Plaza is used as a walkway or as a destination in its own right,” Townsend explained in her proposal for the mural.

More than 40 volunteers helped Townsend in the painting process.

The building owner plans to enhance the surrounding landscape by renovating nearby planters and introducing plants that attract hummingbirds to create a living extension of the mural’s theme.

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