New “Art meets History” HLC Project Celebrates National Historic Preservation Month Historical and Landmarks Commission (HLC) is pleased to announce the launch of the 2024 Historical and Landmarks “Art meets History” Banner project for the month of May in honor of National Preservation Month. It’s a first for our Commission. The new initiative will celebrate historic preservation and showcase the heritage, events and landmarks that define our area. For this year, we chose to start on the state’s first highway, El Camino Real, between Lafeyette and Scott Boulevard.
With the blessings of HLC, the dedication of our HLC “Art meets History” subcommittee Commissioners Kirby, Romano and Chair Vargas-Smith, and collaboration of artist Cameryn Baker, we were able to successfully launch this new project to support HLC educational priorities for 2024. These collective efforts have brought the history of our community to life through captivating public artwork in the colorful style reminiscent of FDR’s 1939 (WPA) Working Progress Administration Federal Arts Project. This HLC project will continue to add 10 images per year to the “Art meets History” Collection, and expand the installations to Great America Parkway by next year.
We are encouraging residents and visitors to take a stroll along El Camino Real to admire the banners—a fantastic way to engage the community with its own history. Each banner visually contributes to the future conversations about historic preservation of our heritage. HLC is looking forward to feedback HLC chose properties based on their historic status. For the month of May, each week the City of Santa Clara will share a bit of history about each on social media. Stay tuned! By celebrating our history, cherishing our landmarks, and working together to preserve our community's essence, together we are fostering a sense of pride and connection among residents for generations to come. To learn more about each property listed visit our city website: Historic Properties | City of Santa Clara (santaclaraca.gov) #SantaClara #PreservationMonth #CommunityPride #LocalHistory #Landmarks #Artistry #siliconvalley About the Artist:Cameryn Baker is a creative based in San Francisco. Native to Los Angeles County, she graduated from the University of Southern California in 2022 and made the switch to NorCal shortly after. She has worked in a handful of unexpected places, including film sets in Los Angeles and Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay. Photography, illustration, and written work can be found on her website, camerynbaker.com.