Better late than never

It isn’t the first and won’t be the last. Covid has managed to shift, cancel, change, or force organizers to re-invent how they create cultural events in the public space. One organization that knows exactly how this feels is Tré Packard and the team at the PangeaSeed Foundation. But where there is a will, there is a way. And the planned 2020 SEA WALLS: Artists for Oceans Santa Cruz event finally found its place in September 2021.

Planning changes aside, the event showed no signs of fatigue or suffering due to the slight delays it experienced from its previously planned dates. The impact and messages were the same. Save, help, respect, and protect our oceans. And with a national and international lineup of artists, this message was brought to the fore, both in the form of urban artworks for all to see and as conversation starters to take on the issues long after the paint has dried.

Save, help, respect, and protect our oceans

Via the colors of their selected Montana GOLD and BLACK cans, the artists taking on the topics and transforming them into visual messages were Abi Mustapha, Alexandra Underwood, Caia Koopman, David Rice, Griffin One, Hannah Eddy, Jeks One, Jet Martinez, Jimbo Phillips, Joey Rose, Kai Kaulukukui, Lauren Ys, Madeline Tanzi, Max Erhman, Nychos, Ricky Watts, Shane Jessup, and Zoe Boston. If we consider the idea of urban art and muralism, there was nothing missing. Figuration, abstraction, dynamic, and monochromatic color use, all wrapped up in the warm blanket of color thanks to the Montana cans the beautiful references to the ocean and all its magical creatures.

beautiful references to the ocean and all its magical creatures

Defiantly worth the wait, the SEA WALLS Santa Cruz event is yet another jewel in the crown of ARTivism initiated by the PangeaSeed Foundation. See for yourself here