MEMORY OF A TREE
Hand-painted earthy textures and abstracted botanical shapes transform this previously bare highway underpass into a peaceful gateway into Downtown Yountville—a bucolic town in the heart of Napa Valley.
We solicited keywords through a survey of Yountville residents to inform our design process, and presented three designs during a town hall meeting. The community selected a design that embodies an oasis of valley oak trees, the species that historically dominated the Napa Valley before vineyards were cultivated.
Using an array of tools, we glazed, painted, spattered and sprayed the walls to create depth and organic texture. As we worked, local elementary school kids visited for impromptu public art lessons and town residents sweetly gifted us with ice cream cones and lemonade.
Although much of the landscape is now dedicated to vineyards, you can still visit magnificent old trees that have lived in Yountville since before the first grapevines were ever planted in the Napa Valley. Oaks are one of the most important keystone species - we must cherish and protect the ones that still remain and plant and cultivate new groves.
