Created for the 2020 Eureka Street Art Festival
60’ x 15’
Outside of the Toy Box in Henderson Center, Ellie Gainey’s mural welcomes you to the “Heart of the Redwoods”. It is 60 x 15 feet and is one of the largest murals created for the 2020 Eureka Street Art Festival.
Ellie Gainey is a public works artist who studied art at UC Santa Cruz and has spent over four years living in Humboldt County. She has previously contributed to the Eureka Street Art Festival by making a mural in 2018. When Gainey started her new mural in 2020, she wanted to capture and share the natural beauty of Humboldt. This mural features playful yellow lettering on top of a lush redwood forest background. “Humboldt” is written in a bold, collegiate-inspired font, which contrasts with the breezy “Heart of the Redwoods” written in cursive underneath. Many small creatures including a squirrel, some skunks and a banana slug live within this scene. Other details to look for in this mural include California poppies sprouting in the bottom right corner and monarch butterflies landing on the “s” in “Redwoods.” Amanita muscaria mushrooms are scattered throughout the scene. More commonly known as Fly Agaric, these red mushrooms with white spots can be seen in Humboldt’s forests.
Whether viewing the mural from afar or observing its intricate details up close, Ellie Gainey’s Heart of the Redwoods mural is a stunning tribute to Humboldt’s beauty.
