Public Art | Carlsbad, CA

At a glance

The City of Carlsbad launched its Art in Public Places program in 1985 to create opportunities to bring the community together and enhance quality of life. When the program was launched 41 years ago, it was the first of its kind in San Diego County. Since then, 35 permanent public art pieces have been installed citywide and three more are being developed.

Art restoration project

Many of the city’s public art pieces now need restoration to keep them in good condition and in some cases, maintain structural integrity and prevent more significant and expensive maintenance issues in the future.

What to expect

During the next four years, the city will restore 35 public art pieces in locations throughout the city.
In most cases, restoration will take a few weeks and won’t create traffic or noise impacts to the surrounding community.
A few art pieces are on streets or sidewalks and could create temporary lane closures or noise. In these cases, we will notify nearby residents and businesses before restoration work begins.
The existing condition of each art piece was evaluated to develop the schedule, with pieces that need the most significant restoration work first.

Schedule

Restoration work will be phased from 2026 to 2029, with art pieces most in need of repair or restoration scheduled first.

The following artworks are scheduled for restoration between fall 2026 and spring 2027:

August 2026: Sculptures in the Carlsbad City Children's Library by DeLoss McGraw – In the Children's Garden at Dove Library
September 2026: Carlsbad Golfers by TJ Dixon and James Nelson – At The Crossings golf course
September 2026: Flying Shadows by Jan Sanchez – In the breezeway at Dove Library
Coastal Helix by Roger Stoller – At the corner of Carlsbad Boulevard and State Street
Flower and Flames by Christopher Lee – At Fire Station 6
Carlsbad Shore Protection Seawall by Raul Guerrero – Along Carlsbad Boulevard between Cannon Road and Tamarack Avenue
Northwest & South Village Entrance Signs by James Hubbell (2 pieces) – One in the center divider on Carlsbad Village Drive just west of Interstate 5, and one in the center divider at Carlsbad Boulevard and Oak Avenue
Birds of Paradise Medallion by James Hubbell – At the corner of Carlsbad Boulevard and Carlsbad Village Drive

The team is developing work schedules and more details will be available in the weeks and months ahead. To receive the latest updates, sign up to receive emails from the city’s Cultural Arts team.

Art in public places program

The city's Art in Public Places program, began in 1985. This was the first public art program established in San Diego County and is designed to expand residents’ appreciation of art, reflect the city’s aspiration to improve the quality of life, and to enhance and identify Carlsbad as a unique community.

Tied to the city’s Capital Improvement Projects budget and plan, the program is administered by the city’s Cultural Arts, which follows a set of policies and procedures that guides the entire process, from artist selection through to final installation of the work.

A key component of Carlsbad’s Art in Public Places program is an emphasis on public participation during the process, ensuring that the artworks are integrated into the physical and social environment of the city and reflect the broad range and interests of the community.

The first public artwork in Carlsbad, 'Crown Lair' created by artist Lloyd Hamrol, was installed at Stagecoach Community Park in 1989. Over the years, the public art program has become an integral part of Carlsbad’s vibrancy and sense of place; as of 2016, there are more than 100 works of art in the city’s public art collection.

Public art vision

In 2016, the City of Carlsbad completed a public art visioning process with a goal to:

Define broad citywide goals and priorities for public art
Establish timelines for implementation of public art
Educate the public of the value of public art in the community

The 2016 public art vision built upon the city's Art in Public Places program, which began in 1985. This was the first public art program established in San Diego County and is designed to expand residents’ appreciation of art, reflect the city’s aspiration to improve the quality of life, and to enhance and identify Carlsbad as a unique community.

Tied to the city’s capital projects budget and plan, the program is administered by the city’s Cultural Arts Division, which follows a set of policies and procedures that guides the entire process, from artist selection through to final installation of the work.

A key component of Carlsbad’s program is an emphasis on public participation during the process, ensuring that the artworks are integrated into the physical and social environment of the city and reflect the broad range and interests of the community.

The first public artwork in Carlsbad, 'Crown Lair' created by artist Lloyd Hamrol, was installed at Stagecoach Community Park in 1989. Over the years, the public art program has become an integral part of Carlsbad’s vibrancy and sense of place; as of 2016, there are more than 100 works of art in the city’s public art collection. View our interactive map for their locations.