Once again, the vacant lot in the heart of Geyserville has been animated by a new and colorful work of art, a mural by Maxfield Bala of Petaluma. The mural—in the popular retro-postcard or orange-crate art style—announces Geyserville in big and bold letters. A red farm truck and barn, and two highly visible downtown historic buildings, almost spill out of a giant cornucopia of grapes, prunes, plums and golden California poppies that define the Alexander Valley town’s landscape and history.
The mural now joins the large marble Agraria hand sculpture by Larry Kirkland of Portland, donated to Geyserville this past year, as well as several other imaginative sculptures and installations that populate this Sculpture Corner, at Hwy 128 and Geyserville Road.
Bala’s mural replaced a 49-year-old map mural done in a more flowing style by local artists Susie Moore and Dini Seanor, which was flaking off the sun-exposed wall. The new mural was commissioned by the community foundation. After several rounds of review and planning it took shape beginning in late September and was officially revealed on Oct. 25 with a small community dedication.
“We wanted it to look like someone was investing in Geyserville’s vitality, and to further the goals of the community,” said Bryce Jones, a member of the town’s planning committee. “At the same time we wanted something that could be tourist friendly and help promote the town’s brand identity.”
The primary 27-piece Sculpture Trail, an outdoor art exhibit at the Geyserville Road offramp from Hwy 101, is filling up a 1 1-3-acre lot with sculptures and improved landscaping. That offramp location, and the downtown arts corner, are increasingly coming to define the visual identity of the quiet “census designated place” of about 800 residents.
The separate downtown locale is clearly in the mood and mode of the freeway-side Sculpture Trail, with art curated by Victoria Heiges. Also in the downtown lot are a rusted globe decorated with steampunk filigree called Ancient Transport by Jared Hendricks; a life-size sculpture of a horse rearing on its hind legs called Golden Possibilities by Pierre Riche; an installation of God’s Eyes yarn works by Geyserville Elementary School children which casts their rectangular shadows on the wall behind them; and a giant metal Steelhead by Bryan Tedrick which points toward the north wall, where the new mural is.
All of these works double-down on Geyserville’s commitment to recognizing its agrarian past, a branding decided upon by a community survey that the town “remain an agricultural community, and that we don’t become just a tourist destination,” said John Cash, the head of the Geyserville Community Foundation which commissioned the mural.
“Both Agraria and the mural are statements about the town, its culture and its history,” said Cash. “We are an agricultural community and are committed to staying that way.”
