PALO ALTO, CA.- The City of Palo Alto’s ArtLift Microgrant Program is animating the City’s commercial corridors, parks, and residential neighborhoods with a series of 10 new art projects by local artists and creatives to encourage play, belonging, and community participation in and around Palo Alto. Funded by the City’s Public Art Program, ArtLift Microgrants foster safe and creative ways for Palo Alto residents, workers, and commuters to remain engaged in the arts, reconnect with each other, and come together as a resilient community.

Microgrants 2022 features a robust calendar of creative programming and free community events now through November 2022. Taking advantage of unique locations across Palo Alto, Bay Area artists and creatives will perform, offer community engagements, and display temporary artworks. These programs are part of the City’s ongoing Uplift Local Initiative which supports business corridors as we continue recovery from the pandemic,

“We are thrilled to support such an amazing group of local artists and community creatives who are bringing joyful play-based art projects to Palo Alto,” said Elise DeMarzo, the City’s Public Art Program director. “Whether you visit our Farmers’ Market on California Avenue, or join the ranks of runners at the Moonlight Run & Walk, you may encounter a whimsical art performance, or participate in a fun art activity that can help unite, heal, and strengthen our community.”

Hoover Park in Midtown neighborhood of Palo Alto welcomed a temporary environmental sculpture, Cuppa Joe by Palo Alto-based artist Amber Smith on July 29. The artwork, initiated during the pandemic in Smith’s front yard, is a large-scale sculpture of a coffee cup made of repurposed Keurig pods contributed by her neighbors. Community members are invited to meet the artist at Hoover park each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. now through Sept. 24. Visitors are encouraged to bring their used K-pods to donate to the project as she works on covering the saucer on location.

Another Palo Alto-based artist Perry Meigs will lead a series of free community workshops for youth, families, and senior groups to create personalized maps that illustrate how their daily patterns have changed during the pandemic. These creative engagements will inform a temporary mural painted by Meigs and a group of community volunteers at Rinconada Library.




The renowned art collective of Chris Treggiarri, Peter Foucault, Bryan and Vita Hewitt will bring a series of live art performances featuring Factronauts. These intrepid explorers - sent by their parent agency, Nor-Cal Artists Seeking America (NASA) - head into the unknown and unfamiliar world of Palo Alto, interacting with the public with thought-provoking and humorous performances at the California Avenue Farmers Market on Sept. 4, Lytton Plaza in downtown on Oct. 8, and other locations across Palo Alto.

Inspired by Pink Floyd's history in Palo Alto in 1967-1968. Palo Alto-native photographer and artist Iann Ivy will transform the bike and pedestrian "Pink Bridge" at Bryant Street and El Carmelo Avenue over the Matadero Canal into a brilliant and dynamic installation.

Other Artlift Microgrants will feature art installations, experiences and community engagements by grant recipients Connie Chuang, Harriet Stern and Federica Armstrong, Kianna Honarmand, Miguel Novelo Cruz, Nico Berry, and Victoria Heilweil. The entire list of Microgrant projects and calendar of community events is available at the Public Art Program website.