Public Art Commission approves student mural for Washington Park pool house

The Escondido Public Art Commission approved a student-designed mural for the interior pool deck wall at Washington Park on March 10, 2025.

The mural selected, a design titled “The Surfing Shrimp” by Jessica (a 10th-grade student), was chosen after the mural subcommittee narrowed 12 proposals to three and the public returned 241 responses and 33 comments. According to staff, option 1 received 76.3% of the public vote; option 3 received 18.7% and option 2 received 3.3%.

Robert Rose, assistant director of community services, told commissioners the mural program is part of a five-year agreement with the San Pasqual Union High School District that began in 2020 and is tied to the commission’s art-education strategic plan. Rose said the commission allocated $10,000 to the student-mural program and that the district submitted 12 designs to the mural subcommittee for review.

Sandra Aguilar, management analyst, said the submitted designs came from student artists across the high school district and emphasized the program’s educational value, noting student painters are sometimes hired as peer tutors and that for many participants these projects are “life-changing opportunities.” Jessica, the student artist whose design was selected, spoke briefly and described her drawing process.

A motion to approve option 1 for the Washington Park pool house mural passed by voice vote. Commissioners raised hands in favor; the minutes record a voice “aye” with no named roll-call tally provided.

The mural will be painted inside the fenced pool area. Staff described the installation as leaving roughly 12–14 inches of space at the top so the artwork aligns with other murals in the space. The commission discussed logistics including ladder height limits during student painting, moving a trash can that appeared in reference photos, and hiring experienced supervisors to reduce safety risks.

Staff noted the student mural program has been used primarily at Washington Park to date, but said the five-year UHSD agreement could be extended and the program could be expanded to other City facilities with commission direction. The commission did not set a separate funding appropriation in the meeting; Rose described the $10,000 budget as the current allocation for the UHSD student murals in the public art fund.

Votes at a glance

- Washington Park pool house mural (student design “The Surfing Shrimp”): approved by voice vote; exact recorded tally not specified.

Speakers quoted or cited in this article are listed in the article's speakers section.