Quick Take:

Santa Cruz’s mural scene has blossomed in recent years, and local Greg Rose has taken it upon himself to catalog and map them out in all their glory at a website dedicated to the county’s bounty.

This story was originally featured in this week’s Weekender newsletter. Be the first to hear about arts and entertainment news in Santa Cruz County — sign up for Wallace’s email newsletter here and and text alerts here.

Over the past few years, Santa Cruz County has really become a big mural town, with the biggest single booster in the number of murals coming during the big Sea Walls mural painting event back in 2021.

There’s a great new resource for anyone looking to get on top of all the murals in town. It’s a website called Santa Cruz Murals, which provides a list of murals throughout the county (147 of them!), a gallery of images of them, and even a map to help you locate them all. The site reveals the artists behind all these great murals and allows you to explore their other work.

The site is the work of local Greg Rose. Plan to spend some time with it. You’ll be amazed at the visual landscape that surrounds us.

Sea Walls: Revisit the 2021 mural project

  • Santa Cruz artist Caia Koopman works on her "Ocean Acidification" mural
    Santa Cruz artist Caia Koopman works on her “Ocean Acidification” mural at 730 Soquel Ave. Credit: Keivin Painchaud/ Lookout Santa Cruz
  • Santa Cruz artist Abi Mustapha
    Santa Cruz artist Abi Mustapha is all smiles as she gets to work Monday. Credit: Keivin Painchaud/ Lookout Santa Cruz
  • David Rice of Portland, Oregon, works on his "Shark Conservation" mural Monday off Front Street.
    David Rice of Portland, Oregon, works on his “Shark Conservation” mural Monday off Front Street. Credit: Keivin Painchaud/ Lookout Santa Cruz
  • North Carolina muralist Jeks One works on "Overfishing"
    North Carolina muralist Jeks One works on “Overfishing” on a wall of the Soquel/Front parking garage Monday. Credit: Keivin Painchaud/ Lookout Santa Cruz
  • Santa Cruz artist Jimbo Phillips works on a mural
    A building at 142 River St. was the canvas Monday for Santa Cruz’s Jimbo Phillips. Credit: Keivin Painchaud/ Lookout Santa Cruz
  • The "Ocean Stewardship" mural rises Monday.
    The “Ocean Stewardship” mural rises Monday. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz
  • A mural on the wall of the Soquel/Front parking garage
    A mural takes shape Tuesday on the wall of the Soquel/Front parking garage. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz
  • Abi Mustapha is still all smiles Tuesday as her mural takes shape.
    Abi Mustapha is still all smiles Tuesday as her mural takes shape. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz
  • An artist painting at the Soquel/Front garage
    The artists painting at the Soquel/Front garage had a multi-level challenge. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz
  • A mural takes shape Tuesday four stories up on the Soquel/Front parking garage.
    A mural takes shape Tuesday four stories up on the Soquel/Front parking garage. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz
  • Less than two days in, it was quite a transformation at the Soquel/Front garage.
    Less than two days in, it was quite a transformation at the Soquel/Front garage. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz
  • Oakland's Griffin One works on a pelican mural
    Oakland’s Griffin One works off Mission Street on the Westside on Wednesday. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz
  • It was a different take on masks, too, for the Sea Walls muralists.
    It was a different take on masks, too, for the Sea Walls muralists. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz
  • In the shadow of Mission Street's busy traffic, a mural takes shape Wednesday.
    In the shadow of Mission Street’s busy traffic, a mural takes shape Wednesday. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz
  • Griffin One's mural is a splash of color for folks heading toward Natural Bridges.
    Griffin One’s mural is a splash of color for folks heading toward Natural Bridges. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz
  • The "Ocean Stewardship" mural by Austrian artist Nychos
    The “Ocean Stewardship” mural by Austrian artist Nychos is closer to completion Thursday on the apartment complex at 1010 Pacific Ave. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz
  • Things are looking up in the alley Thursday in the alley behind the Soquel/Front garage.
    Things are looking up in the alley Thursday in the alley behind the Soquel/Front garage. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz
  • A drone captures Thursday's progress at the Soquel/Front garage.
    A drone captures Thursday’s progress at the Soquel/Front garage. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz
  • Abi Mustapha paints in details on her mural near Cathcart and Front streets.
    Abi Mustapha paints in details on her mural near Cathcart and Front streets. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz
  • Jimbo Phillips' mural off River Street
    Jimbo Phillips’ mural off River Street takes on his signature style Thursday. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz
  • Artists and activists gathered Thursday evening at the Tannery to talk about the Sea Walls project.
    Artists and activists gathered Thursday evening at the Tannery to talk about the Sea Walls project. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz
  • Santa Cruz native and project director Taylor Reinhold during Thursday's gathering at the Tannery.
    Santa Cruz native and project director Taylor Reinhold during Thursday’s gathering at the Tannery. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz
  • Santa Cruz activist and educator Rachel Kippen speaks during Thursday's presentation at the Tannery.
    Santa Cruz activist and educator Rachel Kippen speaks during Thursday’s presentation at the Tannery. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz
  • Oakland artist Zoe Boston with her "Species at Risk" mural at 1827 Soquel Ave. on Friday.
    Oakland artist Zoe Boston with her “Species at Risk” mural at 1827 Soquel Ave. on Friday. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz
  • Alexandra Underwood and Joey Rose of Emeryville finish up "Endangered Local Marine Life"
    Alexandra Underwood and Joey Rose of Emeryville put the finishing touches on “Endangered Local Marine Life” on Friday at the Santa Cruz Wharf. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz
  • Hanna Eddy's "Ocean Stewardship" is one of two new murals at 1827 Soquel Ave.
    Hanna Eddy’s “Ocean Stewardship” is one of two new murals at 1827 Soquel Ave. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz
  • Hanna Eddy, from Reno, Nevada, puts the finishing touches on her "Ocean Stewardship" mural Friday.
    Hanna Eddy, from Reno, Nevada, puts the finishing touches on her “Ocean Stewardship” mural Friday. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz
  • Los Angeles artist Shane Jessup's "Oceans in Crisis" project near the corner of Soquel and Branciforte avenues.
    Los Angeles artist Shane Jessup’s “Oceans in Crisis” project near the corner of Soquel and Branciforte avenues. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz
  • "Ocean Acidification" by San Francisco's Max Ehrman
    “Ocean Acidification” by San Francisco’s Max Ehrman adds to the murals in the shopping center at 41st Avenue and Capitola Road; Ehrman’s is just off 38th Avenue. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz
  • Max Ehrman works on "Ocean Acidification" on Friday in Capitola.
    Max Ehrman works on “Ocean Acidification” on Friday in Capitola. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz
  • Griffin One's "Endangered Local Marine Life" at 2335 Mission St. on Friday.
    Griffin One’s “Endangered Local Marine Life” at 2335 Mission St. on Friday. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz
  • Santa Cruz's Caia Koopman's "Ocean Acidification" on Friday at 730 Soquel Ave.
    Santa Cruz’s Caia Koopman’s “Ocean Acidification” on Friday at 730 Soquel Ave. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz
  • Caia Koopman takes care of the details on her mural at Soquel Avenue and Caledonia Street in Midtown.
    Caia Koopman takes care of the details on her mural at Soquel Avenue and Caledonia Street in Midtown. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz
  • "Plastic Pollution" was the project for Oakland's Madeleine Tonzi at 619 Soquel Ave.
    “Plastic Pollution” was the project for Oakland’s Madeleine Tonzi at 619 Soquel Ave. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz
  • a bag of spray-paint cans
    Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

Wallace reports and writes not only across his familiar areas of deep interest — including arts, entertainment and culture — but also is chronicling for Lookout the challenges the people of Santa Cruz...