Altadena Artwork Displayed at Local Grocery Store

Tony Ruffolo from Vital Signs in Pasadena installing the artwork (Photo – Hugo Arteaga)

If art provides a soothing and calming influence on the mind, then shoppers at a local store in Altadena are in for a treat.

By Rena Kurlander

Artwork consisting of postcards depicting various stages of Altadena history have been placed inside the newly opened Grocery Outlet in Altadena. Owners Mario and Michell Guajardo wanted to represent Altadena in their store. For that purpose, they commissioned local artist and graphic designer Hugo Arteaga (from Hugo Arteaga Graphic Design in Altadena) with four pieces.

Hugo said:

Mario and Michell asked me to design something different. I did. The pieces are 3 dimensional but hard to tell in the pictures.

One piece depicts Altadena’s First School (from the Altadena Historical Society collection). The school was a one-room schoolhouse built in 1903 for a cost of $2,305.85. Today, the school is known as Altadena Arts Magnet.

Altadena’s First School (Photo – Hugo Arteaga)

The second piece depicts three vintage Altadena postcards (from the artist’s collection).

3 vintage Altadena postcards (Photo – Hugo Arteaga)

The third and final piece depicts one of the previous tenants of the current location, Market Basket (also from the Altadena Historical Society collection). The store later became a Boys Market and a Ralph’s until it closed in 2017. It reopened in 2018 as the Grocery Outlet Bargain Market.

Market Basket (Photo – Hugo Arteaga)

Patrons, and history enthusiasts alike, can now browse the artwork while shopping. The installation of the pieces was finalized on Good Friday, April, 19, 2019, just in time for the holidays.

[This article has been updated to correct the headline. April 19, 2019, 7:16pm]