Footprints placed at the head of the 3-D sidewalk mural invite visitors how best to take a “selfie” to capture its multi-dimension effects.

CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) - A colorful new 3-D immersive sidewalk mural depicting a magical “secret garden” has been completed in the Marketplace at Birdcage shopping plaza in Citrus Heights.

The work by Los Angeles artist Julio Jiminez was commissioned by the plaza’s property management company, the Gerrity Group of Littleton, Colorado, in coordination with the Sunrise MarketPlace Business District (SMP).

Two large additional bright floral wall murals on the exterior walls of the Ulta Beauty store also have been completed. These murals were painted by Sacramento artist Brandon Alexander, who also painted the mural on the backside of Pet Food Express, said Monika Foley, Gerrity Group vice president of placemaking.

“We are so excited about our newest additions to the center, including the 3-D immersive sidewalk mural which Julio has painted,” Foley said.

When you stand on a pair of outlined footprints in front of the 3-D mural and look down, you might imagine that you’re about to enter a secret world that Jiminez has created with red and yellow flowers and busy black and yellow bumblebees and fanciful butterflies flying up to greet you.

From the opposite side, a set of stairs seem to invite the curious to step down into the work.

New signs placed between Verizon and Bath and Body Works guide shoppers to enter the walkway toward the new sidewalk mural.

“We wanted to add a fun element for the community and for our guests to explore at the center in an immersive way,” Foley said. “The goal of the mural program in the Market Place at Birdcage is to connect the center to the community.”

Jiminez also created a series of smaller colorful 3-D paintings depicting flowers, butterflies and bumblebees between the buildings which lead to his larger secret garden mural on the main sidewalk across from Citrus Heights Modern Dentistry, facing Chuze Fitness and Old Navy.

“They are the sort of ‘breadcrumbs’ that lead to the larger mural which I painted,” he said.

Much of Jiminez’ work is in colored chalk, and his 10 by 20-foot 3-D garden mural was painted with aerosol spray cans in Birdcage and is one of his largest permanent painted works.

A complete gallery of Jiminez’ sidewalk paintings in the MarketPlace at Birdcage can be seen at https://sunrisemarketplace.com/art/murals/julio-jiminez.

“I invite everyone to pause before each smaller sidewalk mural and fully immerse themselves in each,” Jiminez said.

It’s easy to see how the suggested movement of the yellow and black bumblebees that Jiminez has painted quickly catches your eye in each of his individual smaller murals. Some of the butterflies look as if they are about to alight on the individual flower petals beneath them.

Benches placed around Jimenez’s featured sidewalk mural also invite the public to enjoy his work as they pause in their shopping. Footprints placed at the head of the mural invite visitors how best to take a “selfie” to capture its multi-dimension effects.

“The orientation of the mural takes into account the alignment of the sun as it travels,” Jiminez explained. “Your visual perspective of the work will change with the height of the sun in the sky and the time of day.”

Foley said that Gerrity Group wanted to bring awareness to the many talented artists in California and showcase their work, while adding color and beautification in Birdcage.

“We’ve enjoyed working with executive director Kathilynn Carpenter and her team at Sunrise MarketPlace to bring more awareness to MarketPlace at Birdcage,” Foley said.

In 2021, Sunrise MarketPlace worked with Wide Open Walls, an annual Sacramento mural event to bring more murals to buildings in the district.

Stand on a pair of outlined footprints in front of the mural and look down into the 3-D mural. You might imagine that you’re about to fall through the sidewalk into a secret world which the artist Julio Jiminez has created, with red and yellow flowers and busy black and yellow bumblebees and fanciful butterflies flying up to greet you. Photo by Thomas J. Sullivan

There are currently eight murals from seven artists completed throughout the Sunrise MarketPlace Shopping District. Each work of art was custom designed and painted by the participating artist, Carpenter said.

The district encompasses a collection of more than 400 stores, restaurants and services in the Sunrise/Greenback business corridor.

“While we (Gerrity Group) are not planning to add any other murals at the property at this time, we will re-visit this opportunity to do so in Citrus Heights with Kathilynn Carpenter in 2025,” Foley said.

The public is invited to learn more about the individual murals in the Sunrise MarketPlace District and the background of each artist who created them on the weblink, “Murals in the MarketPlace,” at sunrisemarketplace.com/art/murals/artwork, according to Carpenter.

Besides the substantial number of mural projects in the district, which can be seen at sunrisemarketplace.com/art, there’s also a special collection of “Masterpieces in the Marketplace,” according to Carpenter.

The district has also transformed its utility service boxes into art-wrapped showcases with works by prominent world-renowned artists.

A variety of iconic works showcase 19th century, Japanese woodblock, impressionism, abstract and local contemporary art. The project includes artists such as Van Gogh, Degas and Renoir. Utilizing SMUD’s Transformer Box Wrap Program to enhance the aesthetic environment and deter graffiti, Sunrise MarketPlace was the first to develop a themed art installation of this scale, Carpenter said.