The State and Carrillo streets intersection in downtown Santa Barbara is about to get a makeover. 

The intersection soon will be painted with a vibrant display inspired by Mixtec and Zapotec weaving patterns designed by Eduardo Jiménez, a textile artist who specializes in weaving, and Irene Ramirez, a Santa Barbara City College graphic design professor.

The City of Santa Barbara is partnering with the Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture on the project. It was funded by a $100,000 grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies through the 2025 Bloomberg Asphalt Art Initiative.

The Santa Barbara Historic Landmarks Commission received a presentation about the project on Wednesday. 

Sarah York Rubin, executive director of the County Office of Arts and Culture, said the grant allows the city to invest in high-quality materials so that the artwork will remain vibrant. 

The artwork will be in the center of the weekly Saturday Santa Barbara Certified Farmers Market, which moved to that intersection in 2024. The design is meant to honor Mixtec and Zapotec cultures and celebrate the culture of many local residents and farmworkers. 

“We think the farmers market is just a great community promotional opportunity to, I think, share something really lovely about Santa Barbara,” Rubin said. 

The artwork also could serve as a safety improvement. 

The intersection is the city’s largest downtown, according to Tess Harris, State Street master planner. She explained that the intersection has a history of serious collisions, including a fatality, in the past 10 years. More than half of the collisions have involved a pedestrian or cyclist, she said.

“Because it’s highly visible and it signals to drivers that they’re entering a different type of space, the visual cue is intended to encourage drivers to slow down and be more aware as they’re crossing the intersection of pedestrians and cyclists as they’re all moving through a similar area,” Harris said. 

She added that a 2022 Bloomberg safety study found that sites with asphalt art had a 50% drop in crashes that involved pedestrians and cyclists, a 27% increase in drivers yielding to pedestrians in the right of way and a 38% decrease in pedestrians crossing against the walk signal. 

The city will be studying traffic activity before and after the art installation to see if there’s any difference. 

State Street in that area has been closed to vehicles since spring 2020.

The city also plans to add tile-looking wraps on the planters at the intersection and is working with Santa Barbara High School Visual Arts and Design Academy students to design string lighting and paper lanterns overhead.  

The intersection art project is for two years to study traffic impacts, but the material could last up to 10 years, according to Rubin.

“We’re looking at it as a minimum of two years, and then if we get a great response and people love it, then there’s a path there, but then we also have the option to change course, too, just depending, but we’re hoping it’s well received,” Rubin said. 

The Historic Landmarks Commission was supportive of the project. Chair Anthony Grumbine said he loved how the art installation will be integrated with the farmers market. 

“I think it’s a totally wonderful job and will be a great, fun improvement and hopefully will last a long time,” Grumbine said.

Work is expected to begin on April 6 with powerwashing, and the painting will be on Tuesdays through Thursdays for the first two weeks of April. 

Carrillo Street between Chapala and Anacapa streets will become two lanes, one in each direction, during the installation process. 

The installation is expected to be completed by May 1.