The Granada Theatre aimed to immerse theater-goers in art before they arrived at the theater by beautifying the paseo, the small alleyway that runs from the theater’s parking lot toward State Street. To make this space shine, The Granada put out a call for an artist to create a large mural running the length of the paseo.

Renowned Street Painter and 3D Chalk Artist Tracy Lee Strum and her husband, Sayak Mitra, a Visual Artist, were chosen to bring the Plaza Granada mural to life.

“I saw the announced opportunity with The Granada, and my first thought was, ‘I have to show this to Sayak,’ said Strum. “We’re partners in life and in art, so we’re constantly bouncing ideas off each other. Upon reviewing the project, we knew we wanted to do it together.”

 

The Vision

The Granada provided a direction for the project, aiming for the mural to play a starring role in the renovation of the paseo and to pay tribute to The Granada’s core mission of celebrating the performing arts in Santa Barbara.

Preliminary meetings with Caren K. Rager, The Granada Theatre’s Chrisman Executive Director & President, helped shape the vision for the mural, with discussions around construction, wall surfacing, lighting, and scheduling. Research into the theater’s history and programming over the past five years, along with careful observation of how visitors moved through the paseo, influenced the creative approach.

“From there, he used elements of The Granada’s own architecture to anchor the mural’s design,” explained Strum. “He layered transparent images of performers, instruments, objects, and architectural details so that everything blended together seamlessly. The result is this wonderful, fluid design where no single element is more important than another—it’s all one harmonious celebration of the arts.”

According to Strum, 75 percent of the work was done before ever even putting brush to wall. The process was further delayed by COVID, so in total, it took three years to complete.

“Once our design was completed and approved, we scheduled the painting work, which is always the icing on the cake!” said Strum. “We assembled a team of artists, including invited local artists who are colleagues from the I Madonnari Festival. With that much talent, the project really became a painting party, with everyone adding their touches to bring it to life.”

 

The Response

Plaza Granada has been well-received by the community and is currently up for an award in the 100 Years of Santa Barbara Public Art contest.

For years, Strum and Mitra’s work has taken them all over the world, but this is the first time they’ve collaborated on a project in their hometown.

“There’s truly no better feeling than sharing what you create with your own community and feeling that support in return,” said Strum. “To see Santa Barbara embrace this mural has been incredibly special, and it’s hard to find the words for how grateful we are. Our biggest hope is that it becomes a lasting piece of art for the whole community to enjoy for many years to come.”

 

Photo Credit: Ashley Dawson, The Granada Theatre Director of Marketing & Database Services