Frequent travelers along Broadway or Leveroni Road are no strangers to the view of Broadway Market – a view that’s more eye-popping than ever thanks to the work of one Sonoma County artist.
Sebastopol-based muralist Dave Gordon has worked on the acrylic painting – currently mounted on 14 nonwoven polyester panels – for half a year, and is now adding the finishing touches to the piece.
The artist says feedback has been very positive, and he has enjoyed working on the unmissable piece.
“It’s fun to do a piece that not only resonates with the community, but at the same time, you’re doing a public-art mural,” says Gordon. “You have a responsibility to create appropriate, site-specific imagery.”
He said he had to take the time to understand the community and its people to create a piece the town will love.
The mural faces north, and little sunlight shines directly upon it – which allows Gordon to use brighter colors without worrying about hues fading over time.
The piece depicts the front entrance of Broadway Market and its three co-owners, Alfred Robles, Ron Rodgers and Dianne Gaudino hosting a barbecue. Next to them is a polar bear, which represents the market’s history (it used to be called Broadway Market Polar Bear Meats, offering frozen meats). The scene also depicts the late Mitch Mulas, former fire chief at Schell-Vista Fire Department, driving a fire truck. That portion is intended to pay respect to Mulas, a prominent figure in the community, and to Broadway Market’s longtime relationship with Schellville’s fire department. The truck also has a black bear representing Sonoma and the bear flag.
Gordon also pays homage to the intersection – known as Four Corners – that Broadway Market calls home. If one stands at a certain angle when viewing the mural, all four corners of the building are visible (this is made possible because the front entrance is depicted in the painting).
“We always wanted to put something on the wall – always,” Robles says. The beautification doesn’t stop at the wall, however. Gordon is also adding artistic touches to the arches in front of the entrance, and barrels with cypress trees will be planted in front.
Rodgers and Gaudino have owned Broadway Market since 1974, marking over four decades of business. Robles came on board in 1977.
Though they have owned Broadway Market for over 40 years, the store itself is much older, with roots dating as far back as 1947.
Gordon has been painting for more than 30 years, and has worked on murals all over the world – from such California cities as Santa Monica and Los Angeles to Philadelphia, Illinois and even as far away as Nepal.
He attended San Francisco Art Institute and UCLA, and earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology.
After the Broadway Market mural, he will work on a project at the Occidental Center for the Arts, in Occidental. For more info on the artist, check out dsgordon.com.
‘You have a responsibility to create appropriate, site-specific imagery.’
– Dave Gordon
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