“Mural in a Weekend” event comes to Lompoc

Art Mortimer and a group of volunteers are gearing up for the Mural in a Weekend event in Lompoc.

For the past few days they have been mixing different colors of paint to get the ride shade of each color that will be used in the newest mural going up.

“We have been mixing up colors, all of the color in my renderings,” says Mortimer.

For the past few months he has been working on a mural that would help depict the importance of agriculture in the area.

“I know what it should look like so it’s really an exercise for me to let go and let the community create their own mural,” he says.

Come this weekend, both locals and tourists will be able to come help paint the mural that right now is incomplete.

“They are going to get their assignments and get their colors and they are going to paint,” he says.

For Mortimer, this is a way he can help bring the community together and educate people on the history of the area.

“Murals here become part of the town and make it more interesting for people who visit and if they chose they can learn about the history of Lompoc,” he says.

Events like these also help to bring in tourism and business to the city.

“They stay at the hotels, they shop in Lompoc, they go to the restaurants and a lot of it is to bring in more awareness and promoting all of the businesses,’ says Paul Patel, the President of Explore Lompoc.

Patel works to help promote Lompoc and get people to stay in the hotels and shop locally.

He says events like this can help put the city on the map.

“They already are getting busy, it’s a nice weekend, and a lot of people come from out of town, so the hotels do get busy,” he says.

For people interested in helping to paint the mural, they can do so on Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the mural site on 100 South H Street.