Public Art Committee Recommends Approval of Mural Design

At its September 2, 2026 meeting, the City of Lafayette Public Art Committee reviewed a proposed mural by artist Robert Minervini for the Downtown Mural Program at 286 Lafayette Circle.

Inspired by a “Garden of Eden” concept celebrating Lafayette’s identity and natural landscape, the mural presents General Lafayette looking across a vibrant vista of Mount Diablo, framed by oak woodlands, abundant flora, and wildlife. The composition incorporates California poppies, sky lupine, coast live oak, California wild rose and fuchsia, as well as a bobcat and butterflies, including a pipevine swallowtail.

Minervini is known for his highly detailed, photorealistic approach and atmospheric, cinematic landscapes. His work often combines recognizable elements of the natural world with imagined environments, creating immersive scenes that explore the relationship between nature, place, and the human imagination. For this work, he draws on the character and natural beauty of Lafayette to create a lush, layered landscape with a distinctly dreamlike quality.

Following its review, the Public Art Committee voted to recommend approval of the mural design to the Lafayette City Council.

Next Step: The proposed mural design will be presented to the Lafayette City Council for review on Monday, September 14, 2026. If approved, the project will move forward to installation at 286 Lafayette Circle.

The City will provide additional updates as the project progresses.

Community Workshop Helps Shape Next Downtown Mural

Press

Greet Lafayette March 2026: Art in Bloom: Rachel Perls Paints the Town

Acalanes Blueprint: A Vibrant Addition to Lafayette's Landscape

Lafayette Just Lucked Out With a Stunning New Mural

Acalanes Blueprint: Vibrant Visions for the Future

Lamorinda Weekly, Lafayette 'Call for Walls' seeking locations for public murals by Lou Fancher

Matilija Sky is First in a Series of Downtown Murals

This exciting new mural reflects the City’s ongoing commitment to creativity and public art. It's a meaningful addition to our downtown.

Downtown Mural Celebrates Lafayette’s Natural Beauty

The Public Art Committee is excited to unveil Lafayette’s very first mural as part of the Downtown Mural Program — created by Lafayette native and artist Rachel Perls. This vibrant work of public art celebrates the city’s natural beauty through a bold, contemporary interpretation of the native Matilija poppy.

This striking mural features the Matilija poppy, a native California wildflower known for its large, papery white petals and vivid orange-yellow center. Rather than presenting a conventional or romanticized image, the artist uses a gestural and textural approach to highlight the flower’s unruly character and structural elegance. Three prominent blooms flow across a brilliant blue background that echoes the Lafayette sky, allowing the work to transcend the wall surface and feel deeply connected to its environment, with a sense of movement and continuity.

The contrast between the crisp white petals, golden centers, and saturated blue backdrop creates bold visual impact and evokes a dreamlike, almost magical quality. Perls’ unique style captures the delicate, tissue-like texture of the Matilija through subtle shading that adds depth and dimension. The composition brings out the flower’s wildness in a way that feels fresh and visually compelling—elevating it beyond decoration into something more curious and alive.

With its clean, contemporary style and dramatic scale, the mural feels both timeless and current. It celebrates Lafayette’s natural beauty through one of California’s most distinctive native blooms and invites passersby to pause and experience the familiar with fresh eyes—a vibrant and welcome addition to the city’s public art landscape.

Call for Muralists - Request for Portfolios

The City of Lafayette is partnering with ABG Art Group to produce 4 large-scale exterior murals and seeking experienced mural artists to submit portfolios to be considered for the opportunity to design and install murals in Lafayette. Four artists or artists teams will be selected to work on individual murals/locations.

• Eligibility: Mural artists from the Greater San Francisco Bay Area with strong preference given to Contra Costa County-based artists
• Locations: The City of Lafayette - Specific locations to be determined
• Deadline: The project will happen in phases, artist selection for each individual mural will take place as soon as February 2025.  Portfolios may be submitted through Dec. 2026
• Info: Please click on this link to read the full announcement and apply: https://www.abgartgroup.com/opportunities

Lafayette Downtown Mural Program

Overview

The four-year program will create, over time, four outdoor murals in our downtown that evoke inspiration and enjoyment, and enhance the vitality of downtown Lafayette.

Lafayette City Council approved the Public Art Committee’s recommendation to implement a downtown mural program in June 2023. The Public Art Committee worked for over a year to draft a plan for a mural program that will bring works by local and nationally-recognized muralists to Lafayette’s business district over the span of four years with public input for each design.

Public art murals can:

• Evoke inspiration and wonder
• Enhance the vibrancy of downtown
• Generate a sense of pride and belonging
• Create opportunities for shared artistic experience

The Lafayette Public Art Committee, working with the property owner and ABG Art Group, will direct the program, including designing a community-guided process for input on the design of each mural. After gathering public feedback and final approval from the property owner, the Public Art Committee will make the final recommendation and submit it to the Lafayette City Council for approval.

Mural Program Process

• The Public Art Committee, working with the expert mural curation team, ABG Art Group, will initiate a call for muralists. The selected artist will use the mural theme guidelines approved by City Council along with the property owner’s statement of interest to develop a design proposal. The imagery for the mural must not be associated with the business inside the building; use of murals for advertising is not permitted per sign code (Lafayette Municipal Code Chapter 6-25). Please note, the mural themes approved by City Council are: landscape, abstract, botanical, and historical representation. These themes are intended to provide property owners and the artist broad directional guidance.
• Public input on artist selection will be solicited.
• The property owner has the right of refusal of the final artwork design.
• Artwork design approved by the property owner will be presented to the Public Art Committee and City Council for approval.
• ABG Art Group will handle the permits and logistics for the mural’s production. 
• The Mural Program will maintain the mural for a period of ten years, with five-year renewals possible. The agreement will also provide exit options if the property owner sells the property or undertakes  major renovation after five years.

For Property Owners

The program is seeking mural sites. Transform Lafayette with a vibrant mural on your property! The Lafayette Downtown Mural Program covers funding and logistics. The Public Art Committee seeks mural sites on downtown's public-facing walls. If you are the property owner of a high visibility site in the downtown area and are interested in having a mural painted on your wall, please complete and return the Mural Site Host Statement of Interest form to indicate your interest in consideration. The Public Art Committee will recommend sites to the Lafayette City Council for their final approval. Not all sites are guaranteed for selection.

Learn More

• E-notifications: Sign-up to receive email notification about future Public Art Committee meetings and ways you can give your input at www.lovelafayette.org/e-notification and select "Public Art Committee."

• Friends of Lafayette Public Art Emailing List: Email jrosen@lovelafayette.org to sign up to be on the Friends of Lafayette Public Art emailing list.

• News: Click Subscribe Now, enter your name and email address, then scroll down to the News section and select "Almost Daily Briefing," "General News," and "Weekly Roundup" to receive the latest news from the City of Lafayette. This is the best way to keep up-to-date on what is happening in Lafayette. 

• Instagram: Follow the Public Art Committee's Instagram @lovelafayetteartists for news and updates

FAQ