Wayfinder: Juan Carlos Araujo is a public art project that encourages visitors to explore the heart of downtown San José. Commissioned by SJMA, 40 streetlight banners designed by Araujo with bright, ebullient colors and dynamic imagery are installed along East Santa Clara Street between Market and 20th streets. Each banner features similar yet unique details of Serpiente Emplumada, a large mural painted by the artist in 2020. Araujo’s abstract and vivid patterns recall the dynamic underwater movements of schooling fish or the unfurled wings of a bird. Sited along the main traffic corridor connecting East San José with the city’s urban core, Araujo’s installation combines personal and cultural motifs to celebrate the energy of the area’s legendary lowrider car culture and to honor ancestral connections.
