After an exhaustive selection process involving more than 20 artists, the Eureka Cultural Arts District has selected two local designers to work on the creation of a logo and supporting basic style guide for the district.

The lead designer for the project is local muralist Mir de Silva, who has made multiple contributions to the city’s lively public art scene through her participation in the annual Street Art Festival. Apprenticing with Mir on the logo project will be fellow Eureka resident Tori McConnell who, in addition to being an accomplished artist herself, was recently named Miss Indian World 2023.

“I am excited to be a part of a project that is reinvigorating community participation in local art,” said de
Silva. “This will be a wonderful opportunity to work with another local artist and learn about their
unique perspective. I feel that art is central to the identity of the community of Eureka and I hope
together we can create something that reflects the unique nature of our local arts and cultures.”

McConnell will also be using experience and skills gained in this project to create imagery for the
upcoming Festival of Dreams taking place within the Cultural Arts District in August.

Cultural Arts District lead Leslie Castellano said, “We believe the combined efforts of these two artists
will deliver a strong visual identity that can be used to market the district. We hope to unveil the
finished design before the end of June.”

de Silva is an artist based in Eureka. Her work often depicts native flora and fauna experiencing human life. de Silva graduated from Humboldt State University (now Cal Poly Humboldt) in 2020 with bachelor degrees in art education and studio art with an emphasis on large format painting. Her work is inspired by and created for the community, and often includes youth and community members in the art-making
process.

McConnell belongs to the Yurok and Karuk peoples and is an enrolled member of the Yurok Tribe.
She is a graduate of the Native American Studies program at UC Davis and was recently accepted into
the graduate program in Community and Environment at Cal Poly Humboldt, where she’s planning a
course of study on traditional tattooing techniques.

The Eureka Cultural Arts District, which runs from Blue Ox Millworks in the East to the outer reach of the
Eureka Slough in the West and from Waterfront Drive in the North to Seventh Street in the South, is one
of 14 state-recognized Cultural Arts Districts. Eureka’s District is intended to act as a focal point for all
cultural and artistic activities within the district’s boundaries while encouraging economic development,
tourism, equity and inclusion, community engagement, arts programming, support of artists and
cultural and historic preservation. It’s a place for dynamic engagement with a diverse and multi-ethnic
population of artists, culture bearers, innovators and creatives as they come together to celebrate the
many expressions of Jaroujiji (Eureka) and Wigi (Humboldt Bay), honoring the interweaving of traditions
and lifeways. The district envisions an inclusive future nourished by culture, art, food, performance and
storytelling. Learn more about Eureka’s Cultural Arts District at www.eurekaculturaldistrict.org.