New Deal Art in Town

This wooden mural hangs in the Hollister Post Office near the counters. It is called the "History of San Juan Bautista Mission" and was created by Vladimir Nemkoff, along with his assistants Joseph Stone and Avis Zeigler, in 1936. The mural was commissioned for the old post office building on Fifth and East Streets.

I always thought the mural was done by artists working for the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Nope. The piece was part of the U.S. Post Office New Deal artwork, which was funded through the Section of Painting and Sculpture of the U.S. Department of Treasury. It's nice to learn something new.

For more about U.S. Post Office New Deal artwork, check out "Off the Wall: New Deal Post Office Murals" by Patricia Raynor.

A closer look at a segment of the mural. See the mission in the background.

Eat Locally: Cheap Seats Pub and Grub

 

This photo was taken from inside Cheap Seats Pub and Grub on San Benito Street back in November. A happy, friendly place to drink a beer and eat some jalapeño poppers. Check out the reviews of the establish at Yelp.

A Mural of San Juan Valley

Hanging in the patio at Doña Esther, a Mexican restaurant in San Juan Bautista, is this beautiful mural that depicts how San Juan Valley looked during the mission days. Take a look at the mural, the next time you're in the mission city.

Shop Locally: Serendipity

Serendipity is a new gift shop in town. It is located at 616 San Benito Street, between She's and the coffee house. I took the photo of Serendipity's display window on the night of the Lights On Celebration parade.

Free Christmas Concert Tonight

The 2010 San Benito County Saddle Horse Show and Rodeo Parade

Tonight the Watsonville Band will be performing its annual Christmas concert at the Veterans Memorial Building on San Benito Street. It will start at 7:30 p.m. And, it will be free!

The Watsonville Band is composed of musicians from San Benito, Monterey, Santa Cruz, and Santa Clara counties. For more about the band, click here.

To read about a past Christmas concert of the band, please click here.