Corte Madera backs whale mural below Highway 101

Corte Madera is supporting a local artist’s bid to put up a mural on a Highway 101 underpass wall.

Tiburon artist Rachel Hebert is proposing a piece called “The Sky Whale of Corte Madera,” which is designed to showcase the town’s connection to the wetlands and sea.

The main feature would be a life-sized blue whale, which would be flying alongside pelicans and egrets in a dreamy, moonlit sky of bright and soft pinks.

“What I hope to inspire in through the imagery is the interconnectedness of all nature,” Hebert said. “These birds are here in the Corte Madera bay, and the water connects to all oceans, which is where the whale comes in, and we’re all in the same plane.”

The project would be about 100 feet long and 11 feet tall on the south wall of the Wornum Drive underpass, a busy west-east road connecting Tamal Vista Boulevard and Redwood Highway.

Hebert chose the wall for her work because she said she travels through the underpass regularly on her way to Trader Joe’s. She said she wants to turn the blank, gray and shadowy concrete wall into something bright and engaging.

The road is a designated Safe Routes to School path where children ride bikes daily, offering educational opportunities, she said.

The property belongs to Caltrans, which means Hebert needs to hurdle a series of regulatory roadblocks to get the project approved. It’s been an ongoing discussion for about four years, Hebert said.

Rebecca Vaughn, town clerk and assistant town manager, said Caltrans officials initially were concerned that the paint would hide structural blemishes, a potential safety and maintenance issue.

After reviewing the proposed imagery, the agency concluded the planned color palette was light enough that it wouldn’t impede visual inspection of the wall. It gave conditional approval, Vaughn said.

However, Caltrans requires that an application for a mural must be submitted by a government agency. Hebert was instructed to work with the county because the road crosses into an unincorporated area. Corte Madera officials got involved because the town is responsible for maintenance in terms of graffiti abatement, Vaughn said.

The proposal received support from the Parks and Recreation Commission last month. The City Council voted unanimously at its March 7 meeting to authorize staff to complete the application to send to Caltrans.

“I can totally support the project,” said Councilmember Fred Casissa said, who has been working with town staff and Hebert to move the project along.

Casissa said he likes the idea of educational opportunities with children.

“It gives them perspective of how big a whale actually is,” he said. There are also educational opportunities for Redwood High School art students to potentially participate in or learn from the process, he said.

“I am very excited about the idea of getting more public art in Corte Madera,” Councilmember Eli Beckman said.

There were some concern raised about the content of the art, and whether a whale makes sense in Corte Madera.

Councilmember Pat Ravasio said it seems like there is a disconnect because the town is a mountain-to-marshland area.

“But then I remembered how much my children loved playing on the sea lion in Town Park, and Corte Madera doesn’t have any sea lions,” she said. “But it worked out just fine, so I support it.”

Hebert said she plans to use a coating to protect against graffiti.

The project is expected to cost about $30,000. Hebert said she plans to fund the project through crowdfunding, which she will launch once Caltrans gives its final approval.