Palo Alto’s public art program brings life, color to city

Helene Pedersen of San Francisco listens to music while sitting at the base of the carved cedar tree sculpture by artist Po Shu Wang on Monday, April 15, 2024 located near the intersection of California Avenue and Birch Street in Palo Alto, Calif. The artwork is one of many public art pieces commissioned by the City of Palo Alto Public Art Program. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)

Public art installations pepper cities across the Bay Area, and as the rain clears and the weather warms up, there’s no better time to enjoy them.

California Avenue — one of Palo Alto’s two primary business districts — alone boasts at least 14 public art pieces installed since 1996, earning it the nickname “Palo Alto’s Avenue of the Arts.”

Permanent and temporary installations adorn building walls and alleyways.

For a map of Palo Alto’s public murals, check it the website.