Students help spruce up curb appeal in downtown Chula Vista

Some of the newest artwork appearing along Third Avenue in downtown Chula Vista were created by artists who are still in middle school.

Students from High Tech Middle Chula Vista recently teamed up with local artists to transform planters along Third Avenue into colorful pieces of public art, drawing inspiration from one of the city’s most recognizable chapters: its history as the “Lemon Capital.”

The project began when Downtown Chula Vista released a call for artists for the planter plaques, with a goal of involving local artists and the community.The opportunity was shared with local schools, and Paul Van Straatum, the art teacher at High Tech Middle Chula Vista, submitted artwork from his class. Van Straatum had previously worked with Third Avenue businesses on community art projects, according to Dominic Li Mandri, district manager of the Downtown Chula Vista Association.

“The student artwork gave us an opportunity to interpret that history through a younger generation’s perspective while adding something colorful and creative to the downtown streetscape,” Li Mandri said.

The planters themselves were designed to resemble old produce shipping crates common in Chula Vista before World War II, when the community was primarily an agricultural exporter. Artists were asked to create designs reflecting Chula Vista’s history, heritage, landscapes, landmarks, culture and agricultural past. The students were given room to develop their own interpretations rather than being assigned specific designs.

“We wanted to give the artists, including the students, room to bring their own perspective to the project,” Li Mandri said.

The experience also showed students how artwork can move beyond the classroom and become part of a real public space.

“It also gave the students a chance to see how artwork can move beyond the classroom and become part of a real public space, while learning about the process of creating artwork for a specific audience, location and purpose,” Li Mandri said.

The students were excited when they learned their artwork had been selected, Li Mandri said. The finished pieces will become part of the downtown streetscape alongside other murals and public art.

“It’s especially meaningful for students to have the opportunity to see something they created become part of the community,” he said.

The planter project is part of the Downtown Chula Vista Association’s broader effort to use public art and placemaking to make downtown more welcoming and reflective of the city’s identity.

A County Neighborhood Revitalization Project grant helped bring more art into the pedestrian environment while highlighting Chula Vista’s history and culture.

Li Mandri said the association hopes to continue working with local artists, schools and community members on future projects.

“We hope people see that Chula Vista has a really rich history and a strong creative community,” he said.

“Ultimately, we want public art throughout downtown to make people pause, explore and feel more connected to the community around them.”

For the students who created the artwork, that connection is now part of the neighborhood itself — giving a new generation of local artists a chance to leave its own mark on Chula Vista.