While some businesses are slowly starting to open up, allbeit with restrictions, the damage has already been done for others.
In downtown San Diego many have been closed and boarded up, so local artists instead used them as canvases of inspiration for the community.
Roxy Prima and Phoebe Cornog make up the artist duo Pandr Design Co. They used the blank wooden sheets covering downtown businesses as canvases for their works of art. One of the murals they helped create is at 536 Market St. in front of Bang Bang.
“Trying to create something beautiful out of these boarded up spaces that are asking for some color,” said Cornog.
The Downtown San Diego Partnership and the Gaslamp Quarter Association partnered to hire several artists to create pieces that convey messages of hope and resilience.
Artist Elliott Schuessler painted one too.
“When people walked by and saw it, I just wanted them to smile. That was the main purpose,” said Schuessler.
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It seems to be working.
“People will come down while we are painting and say, 'Thank you so much for beautifying the neighborhood. We love it so much.' So it just feels good to make people happy,” said Prima.
You can see the collection of murals for yourself at the following locations:
- 536 Market St.
- 548 Fifth Ave.
- 770 Fifth Ave.
- 503 Fifth Ave.
- 868 Fifth Ave.
