Stories are the common thread that connects us all. Person to person, generation to generation, our stories have the ability to affect those around us and beyond. Often times, it’s only the loudest voices that are heard, but the Coastal Stories: Guadalupe Dunes project focuses on the quiet voices; these are oftentimes from overlooked communities whose stories have strength, resonance, and meaning. The importance of amplifying these stories is an indelible component of Guadalupe; a small town with a big heart. It is a place that has seen much change over the decades, yet somehow remains timeless. The stories that the community shares can be funny, deep, and poignant.
The project focused on providing opportunities for the community’s underrepresented voices to be heard – their stories and their connection to the Dunes and the City of Guadalupe now have a platform. This was done through a new historical mural by local artist Colleen Gnos, a documentary film by local director, Chachi Ramirez, and six interpretive signs located throughout the city by local graphic designer Andrea Rockwell. Through their combined efforts, the quiet voices from the past all the way to the present now have a new opportunity to be shared with the wider community.
This project also gained some additional press through a short documentary by PBS SoCal in Season One, Episode Five, Coastal California features Coastal Stories of the Guadalupe Dunes.
