Making Waves at the Kook's Cafe

It’s not a surprise that many view the coastal communities of North County
as conservative in terms of supporting creative thought and artistic
expression. There might be more blank walls than murals and an art show
sprouts up as often as a North County downpour drops, but the pockets of
creativity that do exist make large waves.

Encinitas has a colorful history of creativity. Richard Margolin began his
fascination for art and installation in Encinitas. His brightly decorated
house laden with rock-n-roll references has been showcased in numerous
newspaper and magazine articles, as well as in a book. The infamous
'Surfing Madonna' and installed under the bridge
near the intersection of Encinitas Blvd. and Coast Highway 101 continues to gain
national attention.

Though the 'Surfing Madonna' may rival for making the biggest waves in the
art community of Encinitas, the once hated and now beloved
takes the cake for longevity. Installed in 2007, it was first criticized
for its unnatural surfing pose. Today, accompanied by it numerous costumes
and installations, it continues to be a driving force in establishing
Cardiff as one of the coastal communities at the forefront of North County
art.

Kevin Anderson, artist and Encinitas resident of over 30 years, asked to
paint the highly visible wall of the
Anderson, a Cardiff resident artist, received numerous honks from passing
cars, often accompanied by drivers greeting him by first name.

The Cardiff Kook has been used as where installations have
included Oprah Winfrey, a ,
and Van Gogh. A creative community and the development of a more artistic
culture have resulted from this local love for public art and the many
projects it has inspired.

Check the finished mural and the cafe at…2121 San Elijo Ave, Cardiff by the Sea.

Bryan Snyder is aCarlsbad artist and editor of carlsbadcrawl.com.