This coffee table book speaks volumes about your art credentials
Murals of La Jolla 2010-2025 is the long-awaited follow-up tome
There are blue-chip artists around every corner. It’s not a statement one can make about most places, but La Jolla is such a place. While known for its architecturally stunning museum, MCASD, and heavyweight galleries like Quint, this seaside village has become equally defined by its public art. A bold experiment that launched in 2010 has transformed into a world-class collection of 50 site-specific works that have refined La Jolla’s cultural identity.
To commemorate this milestone, Murals of La Jolla is releasing its second major publication, Murals of La Jolla 2010-2025. This 224-page hardbound volume serves as a permanent record of a 15-year initiative.
More than a continuation of the first publication, this new book stands as a testament to the project’s breadth, ingenuity, and lasting influence. Best of all, it allows readers to see the full collection in its entirety. Because murals are occasionally rotated or replaced over time, this publication serves as the only place where all 50 works can be viewed together.
“Encountering these murals — art that might peek out over a building or face into an alley — is an especially exhilarating surprise, offering views beyond the ordinary and stirring glimpses into different ideas,” says Susan Morgan, arts writer.
The Centerfolds
The new volume highlights the internationally recognized artists who have looked at the Village’s urban spaces and seen a blank canvas. Among the featured highlights are three pillars of the project:
- Roy McMakin: Gracing the book’s cover is McMakin’s Favorite Color. A foundational piece of the collection, it began as a collaborative “people’s choice” project, where the artist surveyed locals about their favorite hues to create a joyful, democratic grid that embodies the project’s community spirit.
- John Baldessari: No chronicle of La Jolla art is complete without the late, legendary Baldessari. His iconic Brain/Cloud on Prospect Street has become a landmark in its own right, blending the beauty of California palms with a massive, surrealist cerebral cortex.
- Eleanor Antin: The book also dives into the theatrical depth of Antin’s The Death of Petronius. Staged at the Salk Institute, the mural connects the area’s architectural brilliance with a lush, reimagined Roman history, rewarding the observant pedestrian with layers of narrative.
A Community Vision
Since its founding by the La Jolla Community Foundation and its transition to the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, the project has remained committed to bringing world-class contemporary art into the public realm. This new book captures the creativity, vision, and philanthropy required to maintain such a high standard. It is more than a continuation; it is a testament to the fact that when a community aligns on its identity, the results are worth writing about.
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