This week, an advisory committee made up of two community members, a transportation professional and two members of the city’s Arts Commission selected Mario Torero to create the newest piece of public art for the Barrio, Carlsbad’s oldest neighborhood.

The new artwork will go in the middle of a traffic circle planned for the intersection of Pine Avenue and Harding Street, one of the main gateways into the Barrio.

Public art process
The city involved the community at the earliest stages of the project’s development to gather feedback about how the new art could best reflect the Barrio’s neighborhood identity and cultural and historic heritage. 

• The summary report helped inform the Call for Artists qualifications released last April to recruit potential artists. 
• To find artists with the experience and capability to create artwork at the scope required for the location, the city promoted the opportunity to local artists and statewide. 
• The city received nine qualified artist submissions in response, and the Public Art Advisory Subcommittee narrowed the field to three during its first meeting in November. 
• The finalists presented their qualifications and approach to working with the community at the subcommittee’s meeting Thursday. After interviewing each, the committee selected Mario Torero, who is based in San Diego. 

Watch the artist presentations.

About the selected artist
Mario Torero is an artist in the San Diego area. With a long history of involvement in both local and global arts, Mario has come to be seen as an iconic Chicano artist with deep roots in the local cultural arts community. He is a co-founder of San Diego’s world-famous Chicano Park in Barrio Logan and has contributed more than 20 standing murals and three sculptures there. 

His application and presentation to the commission emphasized his approach to working with the community to co-create artwork that helps manifest a reflective common vision of a neighborhood’s identity. As an immigrant himself who was raised in the barrios of San Diego, he has already met with many of Carlsbad’s Barrio neighbors to understand the history and cultural heritage of the area.

Next steps

• After a design contract with Mario Torero is executed, the artist and his team will gather community feedback to shape the overall concept and design in early 2025.
• After the design is developed, it will be shared with the community and presented to the city’s Arts Commission who will make a recommendation to the City Council.
• The final design will be presented to the City Council for approval.
• Once approved, contracts for fabrication and installation will follow.
• The total budget for the public art project is not to exceed $110,000.

Those interested in participating in the public art project can sign up for email notifications about upcoming opportunities.

About the Barrio art project
The new artwork will go in the middle of a traffic circle planned for the intersection of Pine Avenue and Harding Street, one of the main gateways into the Barrio. The city involved the community at the earliest stages of the project’s development to gather feedback about how the new art could best reflect the Barrio’s neighborhood identity and cultural and historic heritage, which was reflected in the call for artists qualifications. 

More information
Cultural Arts Office, 442-339-2090, arts@carlsbadca.gov
Public Art Advisory Subcommittee