New Rolando Mural Celebrates Historic Paseos, Wildlife in Community

San Diego Gas & Electric has unveiled a mural at the Rolando Substation as part of countywide community beautification efforts.

The mural, designed by local artist Katy Yeaw in partnership with the ArtReach Mural Program, is meant to highlight the hidden beauty of Rolando’s historic paseos.

ArtReach and SDG&E gathered community input through listening sessions on what residents and other stakeholders wanted to see reflected in the final design. Yeaw worked to translate their ideas into the mural, which depicts a path weaving through local wildlife, native plants and the hilly neighborhoods surrounding San Diego State.

The mural also recalls the historic paseos of Rolando, the connecting walkways that wend their ways through the community. Paseo names are referenced in the mural, including Agave, Hummingbird, Coyote, Oranges, Palms, Pines, Parrots and Falcon.

A ribbon-cutting for the project, commissioned by SDG&E, was held Thursday, with San Diego City Council President Sean Elo-Rivera, who represents District 9, where the mural is located.

ArtReach is a nonprofit that attempts to inspire youth creativity through visual arts and community connection.

“ArtReach has been so thrilled to bring community-inspired and painted murals to the College/Rolando Area over the last year,” said Isabel Halpern, the organization’s Mural Program Manager. “We are so thankful to SDG&E for supporting our mission of bringing more visual arts programs to youth at schools all over San Diego County through the funding of this beautification project.” 

SDG&E maintains over 160 substations across its service territory; along with pad-mounted transformers, they are critical to energy delivery. In certain instances, the facilities, the utility said, “may be leveraged for community art.”

A dozen local substations and pad mounts have been beautified so far, including sites in Chula Vista, Imperial Beach, National City and Vista.

SDG&E also has collaborated with organizations on utility box beautification, including communities in Southeast San Diego, the Convoy District, and East Village.

“Our beautification projects have always been a source of pride not only for our company but for the communities and neighborhoods that have benefitted from them,” said Estela de Llanos, SDG&E’s Chief Sustainability Officer. “We look forward to continuing our partnerships with various nonprofit organizations to beautify local neighborhoods with community-based art.”