In 2023, the Parks Foundation turned 25, and in 2024, the San Mateo County Parks celebrated its 100th anniversary. In honor of these two significant milestones, the San Mateo County Parks Foundation launched a new program to engage local artists in creating original artwork for posters that capture and celebrate the essence of each park.
We are pleased to announce the completion of our second round of posters!
Three talented artists have brought their vision and style to creating artwork for three County Parks posters. Calene Luczo fills her ink and watercolor artwork of San Pedro Valley Park with the iconic spaces, species and experiences of this coastal gem – from the vista of Brooks Falls, to the steelhead trout that swim in the creeks, to the bench with a view to the ocean. In his signature style, Damon Belanger hones in on the essence of the beloved Sawyer Camp Trail – the stunning vista of the reservoir and hills that each year thousands of visitors enjoy as they walk, bike or run on the trail. His bench invites you to pause and absorb the serenity of the moment. Hollis Callas creates a montage of the flora, fauna and buildings that define Wunderlich Park. She highlights signature historic structures such as the Dairy House and Folger Stable; the trails beloved by equestrians and hikers; and the diversity of life found in the grassy hills and majestic forests.
Join us for an artist reception and poster signing event!
Saturday, March 22 from 3-5pm
San Pedro Valley Visitor Center
600 Oddstad Blvd, Pacifica
Please RSVP by March 19 at 650-321-5812 or michele@supportparks.org
Our newest posters will be available for purchase at the event or online after the artist reception.
Calene Luczo, “The Majesty of San Pedro Valley Park”
I am a lifelong child of the ocean. My fascination with sharks began at age two, and very quickly developed into a fascination with the ocean and all marine life. This passion followed me into adulthood as I found a calling in the realm of marine science, education and conservation. I pursued undergraduate degrees in Marine Biology and Art at University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) in 2009, followed by a graduate certificate in Science Illustration at California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) in 2012. For the last 13 years I have been working as a professional marine science illustrator based in Santa Cruz. I create colorful, vibrant wildlife paintings and illustrations that focus on coastal flora and fauna. The goal of my artwork is to create a window for the public to better see and understand the natural history of coastal species and ecosystems with the hope of inspiring conservation efforts.
Over the course of my professional career, I have had the opportunity to work with organizations such as Monterey Peninsula Regional Parks District, Coastal Watershed Council, the City of Santa Cruz, and California Trout, on imagery that depicts the life history of steelhead, a threatened species, and their importance within our coastal ecosystems.
I was initially drawn to San Pedro Valley Park because San Pedro Creek is an important steelhead spawning ground. However, after visiting the park, I became captivated by not only the creek, but its diversity of habitats and flora and fauna. Ranger Matthew Del Carlo was kind enough to educate me about the park’s history and give me an extensive tour of some of the trails and the visitor center. I spent time hiking the trails with my family while collecting reference photos and sketches. I created a survey that I distributed to Park Rangers, the Friends of San Pedro Valley Park, and the Nature Journaling group, to get input on the places within the park that really resonate with the community. It became apparent that this park has so much beauty and natural diversity that it’s impossible and frankly unjust, to only choose one view or trail or ecological zone to feature on its poster. So, after collecting all my data, I decided that the best representation of SPVP is a sort of montage of its most favorite landmarks – those that wouldn’t ever be seen from the same vantage point, interspersed with some of its iconic flora and fauna. In my piece, you will find 5 iconic areas in the park: the view to Pacifica from the Montara Trail, Brooks Falls, a trail winding through the native montara manzanita grove, the large Monterey Cypress, and the expansive meadow along the Weiler Ranch Trail. This composition is meant to capture the heart of San Pedro Valley Park and celebrate its natural wonders that make it such a cherished place. I am grateful for the opportunity to represent San Pedro Valley Park through my art and hope that it serves as a reminder of why places like this are worth protecting for future generations.
Learn more about Calene Luczo.
Damon Belanger, “Sawyer Camp Trail”
I have been an artist for as long as I can remember and I have worked professionally as a graphic designer for over 20 years. Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of creating everything from fine art and consumer packaging to public art. As a longtime resident of San Mateo County, I enjoy exploring our many parks, and now, as a parent, I appreciate even more the vital role these spaces play for our families and communities. Designing the Sawyer Camp Trail poster for the Parks Foundation has been a meaningful way for me to give back and honor these incredible places.
Sawyer Camp Trail is a unique and scenic trail that deserves special recognition. With its winding path hugging the Crystal Springs Reservoir, it offers serene and breathtaking views of both the landscape and diverse wildlife. My goal was to capture that tranquility by focusing on the reservoir’s reflective waters, contrasted against the lush tree line beyond. I wanted to evoke the beauty of nature that envelops you the moment you step onto the trail.
To add a human element, I incorporated a bench and bicycle—symbols of the trail’s inviting atmosphere. Strategically placed benches allow visitors to pause and take in the beautiful views, each offering a different yet equally stunning perspective. Bicycles are a common sight, sharing the path with folks taking leisurely strolls. Spaces like these provide a much needed sense of balance and connection, providing respite from our busy, everyday lives.
Sawyer Camp Trail has the power to shift perspectives and inspire a deeper appreciation for nature. Whether through this poster or in person, I hope it brings you the same sense of peace and admiration for San Mateo County Parks that it has brought me.
Learn more about Damon Belanger.
Hollis Callas, “Wonderful Wunderlich”
From a young age, I spent most of my free time outdoors—playing in the Georgia red clay, climbing magnolia trees, and catching fireflies on warm Southern nights. Nature was where I felt most at peace, and even as a child, I understood the importance of cherishing our natural spaces. That love never faded; if anything, it has become a defining part of my life and a constant source of inspiration for my artwork. My work is a celebration of the natural world, capturing its textures, colors, and rhythms through vibrant illustrations.
It’s been a dream project to explore Wunderlich and express what makes it so special through my artwork. This park holds so many true gems in one area: the historic structures like the stable, carriage room, dairy house and stone wall, the winding network of trails, the diverse ecosystems and the rich equestrian community. It has so many stories to tell. As I wandered through Wunderlich, I was captivated by the lush fern families, the trickling creek in the gully, and the towering redwood fairy circles that made me feel small in the best way. In the meadowlands, I could see the distant city skyline, all the while feeling completely immersed in the serenity of nature.
In my illustration, I captured the park’s depth and beauty—the winding path up the sloping hillside, the vibrant native plants like California poppies, sticky monkey flowers, milkmaids, and trillium. I also included the wildlife I encountered: several pileated woodpeckers and a family of black-tailed deer. I wanted to portray the many layers that make Wunderlich such a magical place to explore.
Learn more about Hollis Callas.
First Round of Park Posters
In 2024, we kicked off our new parks poster program with three exceptional local artists. Bruce Washburn pays homage to the diversity of local flora and fauna at Edgewood Park and Natural Preserve, filling his watercolor with an abundance of park details beyond the famous springtime wildflower displays in the serpentine grasslands. In her watercolor of Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, Sami Chang focused on the community of marine life, like harbor seals, anemone and sea stars, who make their home at the Reserve, while also featuring the cypress bluffs that delight many visitors. Artist Rebecca Holland captured the majesty of the redwoods in her oil painting for Memorial Park, while conveying the serenity of camping at this popular spot.
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Bruce Washburn, “In the Edgewood Preserve”
I paint watercolors with a focus on the natural landscapes and distinctive urban settings of the San Francisco Bay Area, Yosemite National Park, and other locations of special importance to me. Watercolor provides me with a perfect medium for rendering what I’ve envisioned and producing works of a type and size that are easy to share with others.
I was thrilled to be awarded a commission from the San Mateo County Parks Foundation for their ambitious project to create posters for each of the county parks. And I was especially grateful to be given the chance to represent Edgewood Park and Natural Preserve, which has been a special part of my life for over thirty years. I’ve spent countless hours on Edgewood’s trails and, as part of this project and with the guidance and support of the Friends of Edgewood, have learned much about its extraordinary world.
Edgewood is many things to many people, whether they walk the trails in solitary contemplation, explore with small groups observing birds and wildflowers, volunteer their time to maintain trails and reduce the impact of invasive plants, or run through its rolling terrain in the early morning or evening.
I’ve created an idealized view of Edgewood, assembling plants and animals that would typically not be together at the same hour of the day or the same season of the year. Some of my favorite views have found a place in the painting: an oak along the Franciscan trail that stands apart from others to offer shade and protection, a vantage point on the Old Oak trail looking down at another trail junction, an attentive deer on the Sunset trail, and a pair of kestrels in a madrone scanning the fields below.
I’ve accounted for some of Edgewood’s notable wildflowers, with springtime arrivals such as Miniature Lupin and California Plantain (with a Bay Checkerspot butterfly floating nearby) on the left, early fall’s Common Madia and Ruby Chalice Clarkia on the right, and the California Poppy thriving across the view. My education on this topic is informed by the Friends of Edgewood wildflower survey and their careful observations over many years.
I’m grateful to the Parks Foundation for including me in this project and for designing the project as they have. Seeing the unique perspectives of the participating artists will be a wonderful way to celebrate the county parks.
Learn more about Bruce Washburn
Sami Chang, “A Day at the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve”
I am a proud East Bay Area native. Growing up, I explored my suburban jungle of a backyard, sketchbook and pens always in my hand, and drew everything I saw. Though art was one of my first loves, I became passionate about marine sciences when I was 12 years old after taking a marine biology and environmental science class. This passion for ocean ecology drove me to pursue a Marine Science degree from California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) where I got to study a large range of marine organisms, from the Humpback whales that visit the bay during the summer months to feed on schools of sardines to the black abalone that hide deep within the rocky crevices of the intertidal to avoid being eaten by sea otters. Since art was still at the forefront of my mind, I went on to pursue a graduate certification in Science Illustration at CSUMB in hopes of educating large audiences on various marine organisms and ecological processes as well as how they are impacted by human interactions.
Like many in the Bay Area, my first time tidepooling was at Fitzgerald Marine Reserve where my fondness for the ocean and all the colorful and interesting creatures that live in this environment grew even more. I wanted to capture this space in its entirety – the journey to the intertidal through the cypress bluffs, the lower tree canopy red from the Trentepohlia algae that grows on the lower branches, along the stairs that climb down the sandstone cliffs, and across the beach, avoiding the harbor seals resting on the sand. I also wanted to illustrate all the treasures that lie beneath the water and are exposed at low tide to show how diverse this intertidal habitat is. From the nudibranchs to the seagrass to the oystercatchers looking for their next meal, this space is home to so many creatures that survive through changes in the tides. I also wanted to pay homage to the sunflower star (Pycnopodia helianthoides), an intertidal icon that was once a common sight at the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve and has sadly become locally extinct due to the sea star wasting disease. I wanted to illustrate this space for all the beautiful reasons that many travel far and wide to enjoy.
Learn more about Sami Chang
Rebecca Holland, “Morning in Memorial Park”
I have lived in the woods for 60 years. I always loved being in the woods. I remember as a child the freedom I felt while playing in the creek, picking berries and playing with crayfish and banana slugs. I still feel the awe and the magic of the huge redwood trees each time I see them. Scarred by fire, standing straight up over 300’ tall, they are survivors; they have been on this planet for 200 million years. They are inspiring and very, very beautiful.
I started my artistic career early, drawing and painting everything I loved–horses and fields and trees–especially redwood trees. I have been spending time with these trees and painting in oil on canvas for 70 years. It is a great honor to have been able to create an image for the San Mateo County Parks Foundation’s anniversary poster. When I spent a lot of time in Memorial Park recently, I was so happy to see all the people there, both young and old, but especially the children. Their enthusiasm was infectious. It looked to me that they were on the right path towards the future, a future where we work together to protect our natural world.
When I thought about the most important message the Park had for us, I thought about the spiritual feeling, the golden light streaming down through the trees, and the healing power of nature…and so sun rays went into the painting. When we asked Park Ranger David Vasquez what was the thing most loved about the Park, he said, “for sure, camping”. So, of course, there had to be a tent in the painting. The trunks of the trees show the fire scars from years past; they are a sign of good planning on the part of the trees, of their resilience and survival. The hope is that this painting of “Morning in Memorial Park” will call more people to spend time in the park, time for reflection and fun in this beautiful and very special place.
Learn more about Rebecca Holland
Artwork Commissioning Process
In both rounds of artwork commissions, each artist spent considerable time researching the flora, fauna, history, use and particular features that characterize each park. They spoke with park rangers, members of the local Friends’ groups and user communities, and Foundation staff. With this information as their foundation, they each set about composing their artworks in different ways. We loved getting a glimpse behind the curtain as they shared the photographs, watercolor studies and pencil sketches used in developing their compositions.
Left, Rebecca Holland’s easel with a photo composite at top, pencil sketch, another study photo and her painting in progress; middle, Sami Chang’s test painting swatch for her Fitzgerald Marine Reserve watercolor; right, one of Bruce Washburn’s early sketches for his Edgewood Preserve watercolor
For both rounds of artwork commissions, we released an open Call for Artists on CaFE. After interviewing finalists, we were excited to have found artists who were just the right fit for each park.
Throughout the process, we benefited from the guidance and expertise of the professionals on our selection jury:
Cindy Abbott has been engaged with “Creating Community through Art” at Sanchez Art Center in Pacifica, since 2012. First serving as Board Treasurer, she was selected as Executive Director in October 2015. Ms. Abbott is an ocean, beach and parks enthusiast, also serving on the City of Pacifica’s Parks, Beaches and Recreation Commission.
Rob Cala is a Photographer, Videographer and San Mateo County Park Ranger who creates a wide range of images focusing his lens on the often-unseen elements of the natural world. Mr. Cala produces educational, informational and travel documentaries and his visual portfolio has been used in print and online to highlight the diversity of life that colors Northern California and beyond.
Rebecca Holland taking study photos
Robin Rodricks recently retired from being the Executive Director of San Mateo County’s Office of Arts and Culture. She took on that position in June 2021 after volunteering for eight years as a San Mateo County Arts Commissioner. Previously, she was a Marketing Manager at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Robin works to build community through arts and culture for a healthy, vibrant San Mateo County.
Carla Schoof is San Mateo County Parks Department’s Communications Manager and part of her job is engaging diverse stakeholders in park planning efforts like Reimagine Flood Park. Prior to this role, she was a senior public affairs representative for Kaiser Permanente and a Program Coordinator for the City of Palo Alto.
Beverley Talbott hikes frequently and enthusiastically throughout the Bay Area and this led her to join the San Mateo County Parks Foundation board of directors in 2019. Before retiring, she held principal technical editor positions at Apple, Microsoft, and VMware. Ms. Talbott’s artwork has appeared in juried shows at galleries in San Francisco and elsewhere.
Thanks also to our printing partners at Bobkat Printing and to our graphic designer, Kathy Switky, for the beautiful layout and text design.