July 24, 2013
By Tonya Strickland
Local youth have expressed their artistic talents in a new exhibit with San Luis Obispo County’s public transit system.
The first installment of the exhibit, “Youth Art In Motion,” will be showcased on decals to be displayed outside and inside Regional Transit Authority buses that will travel countywide through the summer.
An unveiling ceremony is planned for Saturday to showcase one of five buses where the art is displayed. The free event will be at 1 p.m. at Studios On The Park, 1130 Pine St., in downtown Paso Robles.
Saturday’s event will allow people to walk around and through the bus to see how the art is displayed, RTA representative Anna Mafort-Lacy said.
Paintings located inside the buses showcase local favorites such the Morro Bay waterfront, Cal Poly's Performing Art Center, San Simeon's Hearst Castle and local agriculture. Another larger painting is mounted outside of one bus depicting a collection of local landscapes, including a celebration of the area's agriculture.
RTA Executive Director Straw likens the new bus collaborative to a “traveling art show” designed to attract new riders and provide a sense of community for existing ones.
"This is an important community partnership that everyone can enjoy, even motorists who have not discovered the benefits of public transit just yet,” Straw said in a statement.
The original artworks will also be on display inside Studios on the Park and the artists, ranging in age from 12 to 20, will be on hand to discuss their work, she added.
The artists are members of Studios' Artists Re-Imaging Color youth program. They attend local middle schools, high schools and Cuesta College.
After the summer, organizers hope to unveil a new series of designs by the ARC artists, officials said.
Studios on the Park is a nonprofit art organization based in Paso Robles that links the community to working artist studios and various programs to enhance understanding and appreciation of the visual arts.
