Kiku Crossing art panels celebrate San Mateo’s history and culture

“I’m hoping this gives joy and pride to people living in San Mateo,” Sato said of the art.

Sato explored themes of community and the city’s history, particularly for the people who will benefit from the affordable housing, like teachers, janitors and other essential workers. Her appreciation for the building and project grew over time. Sato was inspired by the various San Mateo communities, particularly the long history of Mexican Americans and Japanese Americans, along with the first people in the area, the Ohlone people. Each group has played an essential role in the history of San Mateo, and each culture inspired part of the design and style. The downtown art is displayed prominently at the site and visible from the Caltrain tracks and crossing going through downtown, which was important to Sato.

“People who come to visit will see this,” Sato said. “It’s welcoming everyone who is coming to San Mateo and gets some essence of the history of San Mateo.”

The art is part of the Kiki Crossing project, a 225-unit affordable apartment development along with a public parking garage to invigorate a key downtown area near transit. The seven-story apartment complex will connect to the parking garage across the street through a pedestrian bridge. The five-story public parking garage will be the home of the murals. Nonprofit project developer MidPen Housing and the city of San Mateo partnered together to complete the project. The city contributed the land through a long-term ground lease and $12.5 million toward construction. MidPen Housing expects to complete the parking garage in 2023 and the apartment in spring 2024. The site was previously several public parking lots.

Sato was chosen from over 140 artists through a competitive public process that involved input from local high school students and selection by the city’s Civic Arts Committee. Sato also drew inspiration from kiku, which represents the chrysanthemum flower in Japanese. Sato is a Japanese visual artist from Mountain View who has lived in Japan, France, Morocco, Tunisia, Italy and Spain. Her public art and murals have been commissioned throughout the Bay Area. Sato started the digital design process in 2020. Two art pieces are now up, with construction crews adding the third piece that showcases animals in the coming days.

The murals are part of the city’s Art in Public Places program, requiring new developments to incorporate public art in the project or contribute money, according to the city. The program has contributed over $6 million worth of public art in San Mateo since 2004 for 28 installations in areas like the Hillsdale Shopping Center, Persimmon Park and public libraries.