Commission approves high-school finalist Santiago Benavides' mural for city wall

The Escondido Public Art Commission on May 18 approved a student mural by Santiago Benavides, selected through a subcommittee and public-input process.

City staff presented background: 20 student submissions were received, the subcommittee narrowed entries to two finalists and the Public Art Commission opened public voting April 1–8, 2026. The tally shown by staff listed 161 votes for Santiago and 67 votes for a finalist identified as Maya. Nicolina Katanic, department specialist for the Economic Development Department, and Sandra Agalar, management analyst, described the selection steps and recommended the commission approve the top vote‑getter.

Santiago Benavides, who presented the proposed design, described the mural, titled "The Childhood," as a nostalgic, colorful composition that features flowers, a butterfly, a unisex figure on a swing and birds. "The flowers were just mentioned for the seniors of their grooming ... the butterfly would bring out color to the flowers," Santiago said.

Commissioners praised the piece’s color and scale. A motion to "approve as recommended" was made and seconded; the commission voted to approve the mural as recommended. Staff said the painting will take place in the summer but did not provide exact start or completion dates at the meeting.

Why it matters: the selected mural will be installed on a highly visible city wall and is intended to be a community-facing work created through the Escondido Union High School District student mural program. The project advances the commission’s goal of public art that connects to local schools and residents.

Next steps: staff will provide installation timing and logistical details to the commission once they are finalized.