Del Rio Trail

The project was led by the City of Sacramento’s Office of Arts and Culture
Art Tonic provided comprehensive project management
Art Tonic supported 20 local artists in developing and delivering community workshops in printmaking, cyanotype, art activism, and music
Engaged 100s of residents and fostered community connection around the new trail
Art Tonic managed the creation and installation of interpretive signage for Phase 2 artists, whose public sculptures transformed the trail into an open-air museum
The project exemplifies how public art, storytelling, and community engagement can enrich civic infrastructure and create lasting cultural assets

Engage community members with the trail and the communities surrounding the trail through art
Raise public awareness about the Del Rio Trail
Educate visitors about the artwork by providing information about the artists, the significance of the artworks, and their cultural context

The project was one of several concurrent city public art projects, stretching staff time and resources
The client sought diverse, community-connected artists but did not have the bandwidth to promote the project or conduct outreach to community arts and cultural groups
Did not have the capacity to provide one-to-one support to 27 artists
Many artists struggle to meet deadlines, stay within budget, and manage project scope. A number of the artists chosen for the project lacked extensive experience working directly with community members. Therefore, professionals with artistic and administrative expertise were needed to help artists succeed in their projects
Connections with community organizations and groups were needed to get community members involved in the artists' projects by having them attend workshops and events

Art Tonic provided comprehensive project management services tailored to community-engaged public art:

Developed a detailed Project Plan and Airtable Dashboard outlining goals, budget, milestones, deliverables, deadlines, and communications
Facilitated an equitable artist selection process, including a diverse selection panel recruitment and facilitation, technical assistance workshops for applicants, clear, equity-focused scoring criteria
Organized and facilitated community engagement meetings to introduce community members to the project, learn their thoughts and needs for the new trail, and introduce them to the artists
Coordinated regular check-ins between selected artists, the City, and community stakeholders
Supported artist-led workshops and pop-up engagements along the trail corridor

We partnered with neighborhood associations, representing neighborhoods along the trail, to promote the project to Sacramento residents
We conducted regular check-ins with the project’s 20 phase 1 artists, called Artist Ambassadors, to help them design their community engagement strategies. These strategies included ways to get residents involved in their artistic process. Strategies included photographing residents to feature in photography projects, interviewing residents to inform artistic subject matter, and hosting workshops where residents created art that would become part of the artist's exhibited project

50+ artist applications received for Phase 1
40+ Community events and exhibits hosted and facilitated
1 Kickoff event where Phase 1 artists introduced themselves to the community at the Latino Center of Art and Culture
1 Celebration event once the Phase 2 sculptures were installed along the trail. The Phase 2 artists discussed their process and presented slides of their final artworks
1 Group Art Exhibit, which featured the artworks created by all Phase 1
4 neighborhood events at local schools, community centers, and parks
7 Online presentations by Phase 2 artists
30 artist-led events including art exhibits, artist talks, printmaking workshops, interactive kids music performances, cyanotype workshops, ceramics workshops, and photography workshops
1500+ community members engaged in events, workshops, exhibits, and art engagement opportunities
18 large-scale public art installations completed along the trail corridor
Positive community feedback and recognition from the Sacramento Arts Culture and Creative Economy Commission for a successful project
New city-artist, city-community, and artist-community partnerships were formed for future neighborhood initiatives