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Help Paint the Pavement at 32nd & Thorn!
San Diego, CA — December 17, 2025 — Expressive Arts @ 32nd & Thorn is partnering with North Park creatives of all ages to bring a new intersection mural to life. Designed as part of wider traffic-calming initiatives promoted by local citizens from the Alta Dena pocket of North Park, Councilmember Stephen Whitburn and the North Park Planning Committee this community-based project will brighten the pavement of the 32nd & Thorn intersection. These pavement murals have been shown to naturally slow traffic while celebrating the neighborhood’s creative energy.
“We were inspired by other Paint the Pavement initiatives around the country that have successfully slowed traffic by decorating an intersection with a brilliant community art project. We hope this will become a pilot program for other intersection murals in the area,” says Tish McAllise Sjoberg, owner of Expressive Arts @ 32nd & Thorn.
Open Call for Design Submissions:
North Park community members are invited to submit design concepts for a pavement mural at the 32nd & Thorn intersection. Keep ideas bold and simple, and use no more than six colors. For inspiration, search for ‘intersection art’ or ‘crosswalk art’, or check out this short video: https://vimeo.com/95972201. Feel free to submit multiple ideas. Neighbors will vote on the entries, and the top ten designs will be juried by a committee of local artists and muralists to choose the winner. When the final design is approved by the city, the neighborhood will be invited to paint the pavement!
How to Participate:
- Create artwork that fits in a square. The design itself can be any shape (organic, circular, etc.) as long as it fits inside the square.
- Click for a form you can print. (see image below)
- Submit designs by January 30, 2026 to Expressive Arts @ 32nd & Thorn by emailing tish@expressiveartssandiego.com or mail/drop-off to 3201 Thorn Street, San Diego, 92104.
About Expressive Arts @ 32nd & Thorn
Expressive Arts @ 32nd & Thorn has been using the arts for helping and healing (Which includes having fun!) for over 15 years in the neighborhood. Through individual sessions, classes like Paint to Music, workshops, professional trainings, and community events, the studio invites people to follow their longings and pleasure in art and life, so they can uncover their personal form of creative expression, build creative confidence, manage challenges and spark change in their lives. No art experience is necessary—just a willingness to play, reflect, and grow. To learn more about Expressive Arts, visit www.expressiveartssandiego.com or follow along on Instagram at @ExpressiveArtsSanDiego.
