Project Director
Sea Walls Santa Cruz Mural Festival
Tay’s largest and most impactful project to date as Project Director for Sea Walls Santa Cruz in September 2021. PangeaSeed Foundation’s global Sea Walls: Artists for Oceans program created 20 ocean conservation-themed murals in Santa Cruz. Completed in a week with over 25 artists from a mix of Santa Cruz, California, and nationally.
From finding and securing sites, to curating the elite crew of muralists, to securing city approval and funding, this project was years in the making.
The mission is to empower individuals and communities to create meaningful environmental change for the oceans by raising public awareness of critical environmental issues through science, education, and artivism.
The large-scale artworks speak to locally relevant, pressing marine environmental issues such as plastic pollution, ocean acidification, warming seas, local biodiversity loss, environmental justice, and more.
In alignment with the sustainable mission of this project, the murals will be painted with Smog Armor, a new non-toxic paint that absorbs carbon. This will be the first Sea Walls event on the West Coast incorporating this new eco-friendly and Green Wise-certified technology.
“The Urchin Merchant” Endangered Kelp Forests - Lauren YS (Los Angeles, CA) - 2391 Mission St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 - Dominos / Wall Facing Mission West Parking Lot
“Chain of Events” Endangered Local Marine Life - Griffin One (Oakland, CA) - 2335 Mission St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 - Mission Liquors / Visible from You Do It Car Wash
“Protect Our Oceans” Plastic Pollution - Jimbo Phillips (Santa Cruz, CA) - 142 River St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 - Lenz Arts / Wall Facing Parking Lot
“Under Duality” Ocean Stewardship - Made Fresh Crew - Scotty Greathouse, Tyler Filkins, Evan Cusack, Erika Rosendale, Kyle Sanders, Joe Fenton, Casey Landaker, Joe Fitz, Maia Negre (Santa Cruz, CA) - 204 Church St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 - Birichino Winery
“The Last Salmon” Overfishing - JEKS One (Greensboro, NC) 601 Front St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 - Frazier Lewis Lane / Soquel / Front St Parking Garage
“Help Da Kelp” Species at Risk - Kai Kalukukui (Hilo, HI) - 601 Front St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 - Frazier Lewis Lane / Soquel / Front St Parking Garage
“Seven Sea Solstice” Warming Seas / Sea Level Rise- Ricky Watts (Oakland, CA) - 601 Front St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 - Frazier Lewis Lane / Soquel / Front St Parking Garage
“The Warrior Archetype” Ocean Stewardship - Nychos (Vienna, Austria) 1010 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz, CA - METRO Bus parking Lot - Pacific Apartments at 1010 Pacific Ave.
“Beyond Boundaries” Shark Conservation - David Rice (Portland, OR) METRO Bus parking Lot - Crazy Crab at 429 Front St.“Beyond Boundaries” Shark Conservation - David Rice (Portland, OR) METRO Bus parking Lot - Crazy Crab at 429 Front St.
“Weight of the World” Environmental Justice - Abi Mustapha (Santa Cruz, CA) 435 Front St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 - Sesame Korean Grill / Wall facing Cathcart St
“From the Mountains to the Sea, Keep Our Waters Plastic Free” Plastic Pollution - Madeleine Tonzi (Oakland) - 619 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz, CA 95062 - York Framing / Parking Lot Wall
“A Beneficial Snack” Local Marine Life - Alexandra Underwood, Joey Rose (Emeryville) - 37 Municipal Wharf, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 - Santa Cruz Wharf near Gildas
“Let’s Solve the Dissolve” Ocean Acidification - Caia Koopman (Santa Cruz) 730 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz, CA 95062 - Santa Cruz Movement / Parking Lot Wall
“As Above - So Below” Oceans in Crisis - Shane Jessup (Los Angeles) - 619 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz, CA 95062 - York Framing / Wall Facing Soquel Ave.
“Guardian of the Deep” - Zoe Boston (Oakland) - 1827 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz, CA 95062 - Community Printers / Back of parking lot visible from Soquel Ave.
“Sea Lions / Patterns of Behavior” Endangered Marine Life / Plastic Pollution - Jet Martinez (Oakland, CA) - 601 Front St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 - Front St Parking Garage / Botanic & Luxe Corner
“Protect What You Love” Ocean Stewardship - Hannah Eddy (Reno, NV) - 1827 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz, CA 95062 - Community Printers / Alleyway Wall
"Everything in Balance" Ocean Acidification - Max Ehrman (San Francisco, CA) - 1501 41st Ave N, Capitola, CA 95010 - Orange Theory
“Ghost in the Forest” Plastic Pollution and Kelp Deforestation by Commercial fishing - Gats - 3621 Soquel Dr, Soquel, CA 95073 - Airtight Vinyl Siding & Window side wall facing Treehouse back parking lot
Community Supported
The project was produced by the Made Fresh Crew and is supported by the City of Santa Cruz Department of Economic Development, Lost Coast Plant Therapy, and the Save Our Seas Foundation, amongst numerous local businesses and restaurants.
Community Engagement
The weeklong event included a panel discussion and film screening at the Tannery Arts Center. This free community event featured a conversation of the intersection of environment, art, and activism.
Panelists included Abi Mustapha (Sea Walls Artist and Activist), Rachel Kippen (Environmental Activist), Danny Wright - (Founder of Gravity Water), and Tyler Fox (Santa Cruz Waves Founder).
Download a digital mural map at SeaWalls.org.
