New Art Brings Life to the Solana Beach Post Office
About 50 guests joined the Saturday, April 26 dedication of the new murals at the Solana Beach Post Office. Mayor Lesa Heebner, Solana Beach Council members and artist Kevin Anderson joined Solana Beach Civic & Historical Society Board President JoJo Bogard to snip a ribbon and formally welcome guests to enjoy nine new paintings on interior walls.
“So many of us come to our little Post Office to either pick up mail should we be a P.O. Box owner, to drop off returns, post packages and letters or buy stamps. The building, while quaint, was frankly nothing special . . . until now!” said Mayor Heebner during the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “Not only is it now adorned with color and meaning through art, we now have a reason to linger a moment, to pause and appreciate the artistry of Kevin’s work, but also our plain good fortune to live in a place that has so many beautiful images worthy of capturing in art . . . and we each have special personal memories about these iconic locations. Each image can provoke conversation, contemplation and gratitude,” she continued.
“My deep gratitude goes to the Civic & Historical Society for commissioning this effort which aligns with their mission to preserve local history and enrich the community through public art,” the Mayor added.
The Society commissioned Kevin to paint a series of iconic Solana Beach scenes after the Post Office was repainted a year or so back. “For more than 70 years, our organization’s mission has been to support civic education and the beautification of our community,” noted Board president Jolene Dodson Bogard. “The freshly painted walls provided a canvas for furthering those goals. And seeing how much you are enjoying these paintings, we think our $20,000 investment was well spent.”
After postmaster Richard Zamora okayed the project, Kevin was the obvious artist for the job. He grew up on Glenmont Drive in Solana Beach and attended San Dieguito Union High School.
“I treat my murals like an artist treats a canvas — I realy put my all into it,” Kevin told the Coast News. “If people can come in for a moment, smile and enjoy themselves, that’s great.”
As he worked on the murals over the past six month, he was frequently visited by former neighbors, fellow artists, friends, post office patrons and fans. He always graciously stepped off his ladder to chat with them. “It’s one of the best times I’ve ever had painting,” he sold the San Diego Union Tribune/Solana Beach Sun. “All day long people come up and talk to me. I’m going to miss it,” he said of the social hub that is the Post Office, as he gave tours and shared memories about each of the panels during our “grand opening.”