By Laura Petersen

Across our California Cultural Districts revitalization efforts are well underway, making our townships more walkable with trails, new park access, and the promise of art installations.

A 1.4 acre empty lot once owned by a lumber company that served as a county maintenance yard is getting a major overhaul.

“It sat empty as a dirt lot for a long time. We’ve been trying to clean it up and figure out what to do with it since then,” said Nola Mitchell, Associate Engineer for the Town of Truckee. 

“I’m really excited to see it become a park and be used by the community,” said Mitchell. 

Outdoor public art displays are cropping up throughout Nevada County’s two cultural districts in roundabouts, public trails and murals painted on the sides of buildings and under freeways. These permanent exhibits are driving visitation, stimulating the economy and forging community connections.  

When communities invest in arts and culture, they invest in local jobs and healthy, vibrant and more livable communities. According to a report by Nevada County Arts Council, Nevada County Arts & Economic Prosperity Study, the arts and culture sector brought $66 million into our local economy in the 2022/2023 fiscal year

“We know that the arts are a powerful economic driver in our community,” said Eliza Tudor, Executive Director of Nevada County Arts Council.  

“Public art plays an important role in drawing visitors to a place, but also in lending civic pride, reminding us that though we may be unique in our identities, we are one as a community.”

The Town of Truckee is a good example of creative minds coming together to create community.

After acquiring the neglected land from the County of Nevada in 2004 and hearing input from the community for the project, the Town moved forward with plans to turn the 1.4-acre vacant lot into its first park, called DEWBEYÚMUWEɁ Park. The Washoe word translates to “the water running out” in reference to Truckee River being Lake Tahoe’s one outlet.

DEWBEYÚMUWEɁ Park features native plantings, an open plaza for gathering, picnic tables and benches, meandering paths, and ADA accessible overlooks of the Truckee River. Truckee Donner Land Trust is donating two art pieces for the park in addition to another installation on the Truckee River Legacy Trails. The foundations are in place and the steel sculptures will be installed and revealed in 2025.

In 2020, after adopting a Public Art Master Plan, the Town Council appointed members to its new Public Art Commission of Truckee (PACT) to oversee its public art program.

Public art projects in recent years have included “The Path” a mosaic on Brockway Road created by local artists Dominic Panziera and Daniela Garofalo and their company Arteclettica, a beautiful and imposing fish sculpture made by Yustina Salnikova and Joel Dean from Building 180 of trash pulled from Donner Lake, and—most recently—the approval of public art at Truckee’s Church Street roundabout. 

“We are seeing real progress and momentum with annual art installations in Truckee. As a local arts advocate, I fully support the growth of public art in our community. It gives our town a unique voice and sense of place,” said Kellie Cutler, Truckee Cultural District Program Manager and member of the Public Art Commission of Truckee.

Grass Valley-Nevada City 

In the gold rush town of Grass Valley, City Councilmember Haven Caravelli provided advice and private financial support to five local artists who have transformed blank walls into colorful murals. Justin Lovato’s iconic “Grass Valley” mural on the corner of East Main and Mill Street now welcomes visitors to downtown’s recently completed pedestrian plaza, which presents new possibilities for temporary public art displays

“I travel to see art. I also recognize there is a huge culture in our community of artists and I want to celebrate that,” Caravelli said. 

The City of Grass Valley recently applied to the Caltrans Public Art Program, which could lead to the creation of new murals on 11 overpass pillars at a highly-trafficked intersection leading to downtown and a $16 million Transportation Program Grant was recently awarded to the City to build out the Wolf Creek Trail, which may include additional opportunities for public art. 

In the bustling but overlooked Seven Hills Business District of Nevada City, local artist Miriam Morris is creating mosaics on the planter boxes along Argall Way and in the Summer/Fall of 2025, artist Sarah Coleman will paint a mural entitled “The Edge of Wonder,” a 613-square foot nature scene on the east wall of The Onyx Theatre facing Searls Avenue. 

Coleman’s project was the first public art approved by Nevada City’s new Public Arts Commision, and a big step in the City’s revitalization efforts in the neighborhood.

“The timing is exciting because there is an energy shift in the Seven Hills District. It feels like a blank canvas for artists and businesses to beautify this part of town,” said Coleman, who says it feels gratifying to give back to the place she has called home for 19 years. 

Coleman is known for her large-scale land and skyscapes, most notably her epic mural titled “Drop by Drop, A River is Formed,” spanning the entire auditorium of the historic Nevada Theatre in downtown Nevada City and "Daspah Seyo (Wolf Creek)"on the wall of Target at the McKnight Crossroads Shopping Center.

“I love creating work that many people will see rather than just a few. I think public art provides pride and celebration in the community and it also hopefully inspires and creates interesting conversations,” said Coleman.

Coleman and Morris’ work is just the beginning for public art in Seven Hills. The 49er Breakfast Rotary of Nevada City is already planning to propose a permanent art installation in the district to promote the club’s theme of Positive Peace. Business owners and civic leaders have mapped out sites for public art and new signage is planned for the district. 

“Seven Hills is the future of Nevada City,” said Mayor Gary Petersen. And public art is central to that vision.