Local Art Walk

Oceanside Odyssey (in progress)

Jon Hamrick with Hanna Daly, Maxx Moses, Paul Jimenez, Signe Ditona, Mike Smallderakht, 2025

pedestrian tunnel at Tyson St

“Oceanside Odyssey” is an immersive mural experience showcasing Oceanside's native habitat, from the sunset skies to the ocean's depths. The various animals represent the variety of people in Oceanside: local and migrant. Local marine life, including ospreys, dolphins, and whales, adorn the tunnel walls, culminating in a grand display welcoming us to Oceanside California.

“Oceanside Odyssey” invites you to experience the heritage & culture of Oceanside! It’s biodiversity mirrors the artist team’s diverse cultures of Asian, Black, Middle Eastern, Latin, White and LGBTQ:

  • Jon Hamrick, Head of Murals for PB Art District, has painted for celebrities & Wide Open Walls.

  • The prolific Hanna Daly, a Licensed Female Contractor, with 20 years experience, married her wife in Oceanside!

  • Maxx Moses a historical figure in the world of murals, has painted eight San Diego Transit Centers & gained global recognition for 40 years of inspiring communities from South Africa to South America.

  • Paul Jimenez & Signe Ditona skyrocketed to fame overnight after painting Tony Gwyn & Jr Seau. GroundFloor Murals have painted for MrBeast, FazeRug, Padres, Gulls & City of Chula Vista.

  • Mike Smallderakht has painted with Salvatore Torres & his work has been displayed in the California Center for the Arts, Escondido.

Presented by North County Transit District and MainStreet Oceanside’s Art That Excites program, funded by a grant through the Caltrans Clean California Local Grant Program.

 

Oceanside Transit Center Parking Garage

Jonny Pucci, 2024

This mural by Jonny Pucci is designed in three distinct yet cohesive sections, embracing the OTC parking structure’s unique facade. “In my mural practice, I always strive to create images that are thoughtful and site-specific by referencing the history and culture of the place and its people,” Pucci emphasizes.

It features a Spanish tile-inspired pattern reflecting Southern California’s decorative tile heritage, a school of tuna symbolizing the region’s fishing industry, and a dynamic 30-foot wave capturing the energy of the Pacific. Rooted in local history and culture, this site-specific artwork reflects the artist’s deep connection to San Diego County. This is the fifth mural in the MainStreet Oceanside Art that Excites program. 

Jonny Pucci’s design was selected by the public as a part of MainStreet Oceanside’s Art that Excites program, which aims to install up to 10 murals in public spaces throughout downtown Oceanside in collaboration with the Oceanside California Cultural District and the City of Oceanside Arts Commission.

The mural at the Oceanside Transit Center Parking Structure is thoughtfully divided into three distinct yet interconnected parts, designed to harmonize with the building’s unique, multi-shaped facade.

Visitors approaching the mural from the northwest corner first encounter a pattern reminiscent of Spanish tile, a nod to the region’s architectural heritage. The design draws inspiration from the original tiles at Santa Fe Depot in downtown San Diego and incorporates patterns from the original Oceanside train station built in 1946.

As the mural progresses along the exterior staircase, a school of tuna follows the visual line created by the staircase, paying homage to Oceanside’s harbor. “The symbolism of these powerful fish act as a visual reminder of the region’s fishing history,” Pucci notes. The schooling fish appear to take flight towards the upper deck of the parking structure, creating a dynamic sense of movement.

At the far end of the building’s facade, facing the ocean, pedestrians and drivers will find themselves beneath the lip of a massive 30-foot wave, painted with flowing strokes to capture the excitement and energy of the nearby Pacific Ocean. “The loose and energetic paint strokes of the massive wave communicate the energy and excitement of the Pacific Ocean just a few blocks away,” said Pucci.

Installation of the public façade art project began on October 16, 2024, and was completed ahead of schedule on October 23, 2024 at 301 Seagaze Drive. The Oceanside Transit Center Parking Structure mural was funded and supported by the Oceanside California Cultural District (OCCD), MainStreet Oceanside, and the City of Oceanside Arts Commission.

 

Nautical Neighbors

Don Myers, 2022

corner of Ditmar St and Mission Ave

Glass mosaic muralist Don Myers installed a glass mosaic mural depicting a community of local sea life below the surface of the Pacific Ocean. The 16-by-12-foot mural was installed with glass provided by Oceanside Glass & Tile. The mural was created 2020-2022 via community workshops

Part of the Art That Excites program by MainStreet Oceanside

📸 2022 © Brigid Parsons

 

Mission Ave Alley Wall

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Students of El Camino High School, led by George Papciak, 1994

on the east side of the alley between Ditmar and Freeman, north of Mission Avenue

📸 2014 © Brigid Parsons

Newspaper article
North County Times
June 13, 1994
Students motivated by art
by Shannon Brady

Oceanside - Rays from a street lamp reflect atop the bald, 8-foot-tall, priestly specter affront a mission, in an alley between Ditmar and Freeman. Only the priest never moves; he is part of a mural project by El Camino High School.

George Papciak, art teacher and project coordinator, chose the reproduction of the Rev. O'Keefe to watch over the west side of the mural. "I chose to do a history of Oceanside and started with O'Keefe and the mission to symbolize a large part of the city's foundation," Papciak said.

The project began with Oceanside's Day of Art two months ago. The Garden Cafe, off of Mission Avenue, donated a wall for a mural. Sherman Williams Inc. donated the paint and Papciak gathered the students. Ever since then, young artists have volunteered their time and talent every Saturday to paint the 100-foot-by-14-foot mural. "When I first saw these kids I thought 'Oh no, gang people'", said Sharon Bourbeau, coach operator for North County Transit District. "Then my son told me about it. He's going to summer school to stay in his (Papciak's) art class."

The mural is based in browns and beiges to give the impression of an old photograph. A blue sky and hints of color turn it into a dubbed photo. "It looks better than I expected," said 17-year-old Sara Jacobs. Papciek chose photographs from the history of Oceanside archives to combine and scale up for the mural. Moving east from the priest, fishers scramble into a dory, a small flat-bottomed boat. "People used to fish right off the coast of Oceanside like that," Papciak said. Beside the boat is an old steel pier beneath three stoic citizens. Then the not-yet-painted, but outlined, Marines poise full force in remembrance of their march into Camp Pendleton in 1942. The final depiction, to be finished, is one of the first cars in Oceanside with western-style buildings in the background. "I think the man in the car was one of the first doctors in Oceanside," said Papciak.

A motivation besides pure artistic expression is "to show the community that the kids at El Camino can do really positive things," said Papciak. "We have all different races together volunteering their time. A lot of negative publicity hits the kids here, but there are some wonderful students who are giving up every Saturday for this mural." The mural is planned to be finished by September.

"We already had two people offer us other walls during the Day of Art," said Papciak. "If there is no graffiti and the city gets a positive response, chances are favorable for future murals."