TOP : JEFF ROVNER ; BOTTOM : COURTESY OF LOCA ARTS EDUCATION
“ SUPER NATURAL BLOOM ” Displayed at Alta Laguna Park , this vibrant mural can be found on a wall behind the dugout on the baseball field . Dedicated in September 2023 and on exhibit through 2025 , according to Laguna Beach Cultural Arts Manager Sian Poeschl , the mural was created by Australians Darren and Emmelene Mate , a husband-and-wife artist team , who now are based in LA and work collectively under the name DabsMyla . Made possible by a program offered by the Laguna Beach Arts Commission and measuring 7 feet high and 35 feet wide , it ’ s painted directly onto the concrete-block dugout wall with acrylics . The scene shows bright flowers in a rainbow of colors appearing to bloom across a dark background .
“ SWIMMING IN SEA LIFE ” Artist Mike Tauber led the effort on this tile mural , which involved nearly 100 community members . Tauber says his favorite part was seeing how the
Above : “ Super Natural Bloom ” by DabsMyla ; right : “ Swimming in Sea Life ” by Mike Tauber and community members ; bottom : glazing tiles for the mosaic
participants expressed themselves in each tile : Locals — and even a few visitors from other states — glazed the individual tiles in workshops run by Tauber for LOCA Arts Education . Located on the north exterior wall of The Taco Stand , at 699 S . Coast Highway , and installed in fall 2023 , the mural represents the different styles and expressions of those who created it . Together , the tiles form a larger picture of sea lions swimming through the water . “ We love our sea lions , but also all the other creatures that inhabit the ocean , so it ’ s nice to have them all represented ,” Tauber says . “ Everything ’ s there , from plankton to a mermaid and snorkeler .”
LAGUNA BEACH MAGAZINE 45