San Clemente Historical Society

Landmark Tiles on Del Mar

San Clemente’s Avenida Del Mar is the “village square” of founder Ole Hanson’s “Spanish Village by the Sea” – just the right size to enjoy wandering among the boutique shops and small restaurants. Gentle ocean breezes and 342 days of annual sunshine make Avenida Del Mar a unique and delightful shopping and dining experience. As the “village square,” Avenida Del Mar has been a focal point of downtown’s revitalization and beautification efforts over the last few years.

Landmarks on Del Mar is a dramatic and exciting public art project representing the next phase in the ongoing beautification of Avenida Del Mar.

San Clemente benefits from some of the most romantic and significant Spanish Colonial Revival architecture in the United States. Guided by Ole Hanson’s vision, such architects as Carl Lindbom and Paul R. Williams created architectural masterpieces large and small in San Clemente’s early days.

Landmarks on Del Mar is your opportunity to create for posterity a major work of art of the highest quality – a spectacular original tile image of one of San Clemente’s most cherished historical landmarks in the heart of the “village square.” Only 14 of these public art treasures are to be installed in the floors and walls of existing pedestrian rest areas along Avenida Del Mar.

The Art Process

Working from historical landmark photographs, each image will start as a romanticized original painting in gouache medium by celebrated Santa Barbara artist and architect Henry Lenny, who will serve as creative director of the entire project. Each original gouache image will be reproduced and fired onto tiles of the highest quality and durability by renowned local tile artist, Michael King, who will supervise the installation of each tile image in its permanent floor or wall location of each pedestrian rest area. Finished floor images will be about four feet in diameter. Wall images will be about three feet wide. Each landmark tile masterpiece will be framed in Moorish tile and accompanied with a plaque or insert identifying the building and its architect and bearing a dedication from its sponsor. Each tile image is expected to last up to fifty years.

A Joint Effort

Landmarks on Del Mar is a joint effort of the Downtown Business Association, the City of San Clemente and the San Clemente Historical Society. Michael Kaupp, who serves on the Boards of both the DBA and the Historical Society, is the prime visionary for the Landmarks project, and was instrumental in securing City and Federal funding to add tile caps and other finishing touches to the pedestrian rest areas. In June, 2003, the City allocated $9,500 to the Historical Society to further the project.

There are eight existing pedestrian rest areas along Avenida Del Mar. All eight offer excellent floor locations for tile art images. Six of the rest areas offer suitable wall locations as well. Therefore, there are only 14 locations available for these art images: Eight floor images and six wall images. Only 14 individuals, businesses or groups will be sought to sponsor this entire public art project.

A Legacy

>Several of the most beautiful buildings of the Ole Hanson era (1925-1939) are still available for the public to enjoy – the Ole Hanson Beach Club, Casa Romantica, the Oscar Easely building, the San Clemente Hotel. Others, such as Casa Pacifica, are behind gated entrances. Many are gone, including the original Community Center, the original Golf Club House, the Murphine residence, the Bartow house. Many residents today may not fully recognize the significance of these historical structures, because the buildings are sparsely scattered across the city.

For residents and visitors alike, the Landmarks on Del Mar are bound to have substantial visual and emotional impact. These 14 highly visible spectacular pieces of art celebrating San Clemente’s historical landmarks will be a source of pride for the community. The large public art images will no doubt become famous over time and will contribute appropriately to the increasing historic charm of San Clemente. The images themselves and the stories behind them will bring enjoyment and appreciation of our Spanish Village by the Sea to the thousands who share our “village square” year after year.

We invite your participation in this unique, spectacular and rare public art sponsorship opportunity – Landmarks on Del Mar, please contact Mike Cotter…

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