In 2009, the Santa Clarita City Council demonstrated its commitment to public art when it founded the Santa Clarita Arts Commission.
The council approved the Arts Master Plan in 2016 which has become the guiding document to provide arts, entertainment and cultural development throughout the city.
In essence, the entire city is an outdoor art gallery with murals, sidewalk poetry and sculpture.
This tour of select public art also offers the benefit of exploring the city itself.
Newhall
Start your tour of public art in Old Town Newhall. Much of the public art in Newhall revolves around’s Santa Clarita’s “western” heritage.
Stop 1: Adventures in Fantasy (1976)
Old Town Newhall Library, 24500 Main St.
Type: Acrylic mural
This mural depicts a stagecoach pulled by a team of six horses and riding through a valley dotted with scrub oaks. The mural was saved after its original home in Newhall’s historic Pardee House was moved to Heritage Junction.
Stop 2: Walk of Western Stars (2007)
24254 Main St.
Artists: Victoria Sulski and Peter Bartczak
Type: Acrylic mural on exterior wall.
Santa Clarita’s rich western movie history is depicted in this mural located near Old Town Newhall’s Walk of Western Stars which honors actors, directors and others.
Stop 3: History of Santa Clarita’s Southern Hotel (2007)
24275 Main St.
Type: Acrylic mural on exterior wall.
The Southern Hotel, known as the finest hotel south of San Francisco, sat on the corner of Railroad Avenue and Market Street from 1878 until it burned down in October of 1888.
Stop 4: Willie Johnston Bronze Sculpture (2005)
Veterans Historical Plaza, 24275 Walnut St.
Eleven-year-old William J. Johnston Jr. was presented the Congressional Medal of Honor by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 for gallantry during the Civil War.
Canyon Country
After visiting the public art found in Newhall hop onto the Antelope Valley Freeway and head to Canyon Country.
Stop 1: California Scape (2020)
17468 Honey Maple St., Fair Oaks Ranch Park.
Type Ozark light sandstone sculpture
Inspiration for “California Scape” was drawn from the larger Santa Clarita Valley landscape.
Stop 2: Friends Stone Sculpture (2011)
Canyon Country Park, 17615 Soledad Canyon Road
This large-scale art project consists of two sculptures, a jogger and a dog, both carved out of limestone.
Stop 3: Communitree Sculpture (2021)
Canyon Country Community Center, 18410 Sierra Highway
The sculpture of stainless steel, kinetic “leaves” of steel and acrylic plexiglass was designed to be the iconic “Gateway” for the city’s newest community center. The unique, colorful tree symbolizes strength and unity.
Stop 4: Simi Dabah Sculpture Collection (2014)
College of the Canyons, Canyon Country Campus, 17200 Sierra Highway
Type Welded steel sculptures
College of the Canyons is host to the largest collection of Simi Dabah sculptures in the world. Installed on both the Valencia and Canyon Country campuses, the unique welded-steel sculptures are created from industrial scrap metal.
Saugus
After leaving the College of the Canyons Canyon Country campus travel over Skyline Ranch Road to Plum Canyon Park in Saugus.
Stop 1: Astral Projection Yellow Sculpture (2023)
18819 Skyline Ranch Road
Type: Steel sculpture
This sculpture is part of the Temporary Trailhead Art initiative to bring sculptures from artists across the country to Santa Clarita’s many trails.
Stop 2: Western Tiger Swallowtail & Yerba Santa
Central Park, 27150 Bouquet Canyon Road
Date: 2012
Type: Sculpture of re-purposed materials
The Western Tiger Swallowtail butterfly and Yerba Santa, a perennial evergreen shrub, are native to the Santa Clarita Valley.
Stop 3: Saugus Memorial Obelisks (2021)
Central Park, 27150 Bouquet Canyon Road
Type: Mosaic tiled sculptures
Located at the Bouquet Creek Trailhead these large mosaic-covered obelisks were created to honor Dominic Michael Blackwell and Gracie Ann Muehlberger, who were victims of the tragic Saugus High School shooting in 2019. Each obelisk is covered in 28,000 Italian mosaic glass tiles, depicting imagery personal to each. The obelisks are a place for reflection, healing and to celebrate the lives of both Dominic and Gracie.
Stop 4: Bronze Fountain (2007)
Santa Clarita Aquatic Center, 20850 Centre Pointe Parkway.
This bronze statue fountain of children playing around a water pump has developed a nice patina over the years.
Valencia
After viewing the variety of art found in Saugus head to the “heart” of Santa Clarita, Valencia.
Stop 1: Birds of Valencia (2008)
Bridgeport Marketplace, 24061 Newhall Ranch Road
Type: Aluminum sculpture
Featuring 65 cast aluminum birds, each with a wingspan of more than five feet, this sculpture rises above a lake surface to over 17 feet in the air.
Stop 2: Bronco Buster (replica)
Santa Clarita City Hall, 23920 Valencia Blvd.
Type: Bronze sculpture
Originally created in 1895 by Frederic Remington, this iconic sculpture remains the most popular of all of Remington’s work.
Stop 3: IMAG_NE (2019)
Valencia Library, 23743 W. Valencia Blvd.
Type: Fiberglass sculpture
The “Imag_ne” sculpture resembles large oversized Scrabble tiles assembled to spell out the word “Imagine,” except the “I” is missing. The blank space invites people to stand in place of the missing “I.”
Stop 4: Crossroads at Iron Horse Trailhead (2012)
Iron Horse Trailhead, 25311 Magic Mountain Parkway
Type: Steel sculpture
This trailside art piece is a 15-foot-tall monument with two arms pointing in the general direction of historical landmarks around the SCV, including The Oak of the Golden Dream, Newhall Ranch, Mentryville, Tatavium Native American Indians, Lyons Station and the Golden Spike.
If you want to design your own tour, visit Craft your own tour at https://scpublicart.goodbarber.app.
