p.c. Andrew Thill
A collaboration with the City of Santa Barbara, celebrating downtown in partnership with our local business community!
The Office of Arts & Culture and City of Santa Barbara have recently partnered to enhance and beautify the traffic barriers, referred to as “k-rails,” that demarcate the beginning of Santa Barbara’s State Street Pedestrian Corridor at the intersection of State Street and Haley Street.
The K-Rails cleaned and prepared for their artistic makeover.
p.c. Andrew Thill
In April 2024, the Office of Arts and Culture put out a call to local artists, seeking proposals for designs that would transform the functional but unattractive k-rails that many local business owners and passersby regarded as an eyesore.
Within two short weeks the Office received a large number of high-quality submissions, and a panel was convened which called together representatives of the City of Santa Barbara, the Office of Arts & Culture and local cultural institutions and businesses. After a long deliberation local artist and designer Andrew Thill was selected as the winner.
Artist Andrew Thill (right) observing the teams from GraphicInk and the Office of Arts & Culture as they apply vinyl wraps containing Andrew’s art work on the k-rails.
After a period of permitting, and design preparation, the SBCOAC coordinated the printing of Andrew’s designs on a series of vinyl wraps and their professional installation with Goleta-based multi-media company GraphicInk.
The team from the Office of Arts & Culture then completed the installation process by painting the remainder of the exposed k-rails.
SBCOAC Program Specialist Nick spray-painting the k-rails.
p.c. Andrew Thill
Artist Andrew Thill and SBCOAC Installer Kevin removing tape on the newly painted k-rails.
Residents and visitors alike can now admire this new public art, highlighting many of the iconic symbols of our local community, as they pass through this busy downtown intersection!
The newly beautified k-rails in all their glory!
p.c. Andrew Thill
