Santa Barbara is celebrating the completion of the new artwork at the intersection of State and Carrillo streets this weekend.
The intersection’s design adds a pop of blue, yellow and pink in a pattern inspired by Mixtec and Zapotec weaving patterns, honoring the culture of Oaxacan agricultural workers who contribute produce to the weekly farmers market. The artwork will be in the center of the weekly Saturday Santa Barbara Certified Farmers Market, which moved to that intersection in 2024.
The artwork was designed by Eduardo Jimenez, the lead project artist and a Zapotec weaver, and Irene Ramirez, the lead graphic design artist and Santa Barbara City College professor. The two hosted a series of workshops at the farmers market to help develop the design.
More than 30 local artists were involved in the installation and painting process that took place over the course of two weeks in April.
Blue paint has also been added to line bike lanes and crosswalks on State Street from Figueroa Street to Canon Perdido Street.
The project was funded by a $100,000 grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies through the 2025 Bloomberg Asphalt Art Initiative. Santa Barbara was one of four cities in the country, and one of 10 in North America, that received the grant.
The grant is meant to help improve street safety.
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 is celebrating the project on Sunday from 2-4 p.m. at State and Carrillo streets.
The celebration will highlight local Oaxacan culture and feature live music and dance performances by Danza Flor Bonita, Banda Filarmónica Narciso Lico Carrillo LA, Grupo Folklórico Hauxyacac, and the artisan puppets of Oaxacreation Monos de Calenda.
The city of Santa Barbara partnered with the Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture on the project with the support of Friends of State Street, Santa Barbara High School’s Visual Arts and Design Academy (VADA), the Downtown Santa Barbara Improvement Association (DSBIA), Santa Barbara Paint Depot, Delgado’s Quality Painting, PIP Marketing and Graphics, Graphic Ink, Strong Towns Santa Barbara, Oaxacreations Mono de Calenda, the Downtown Santa Barbara Certified Farmers’ Market, and Santa Barbara Beautiful.
