NEWPORT BEACH : Balboa to Use Art for Business’ Sake

Merchants are turning to art in a bid to lure visitors--and customers--to Balboa Peninsula.

A colorful mural erected last week in the heart of the neighborhood’s quaint business district is the first step in this effort.

Another mural will be painted Saturday, and an art fair and concert are scheduled for May.

Balboa business leaders hope this focus on the arts will give the upscale area a new attractive identity and provide a boost to the peninsula’s sluggish retail economy.

“We hope to enliven this area,” said Dayna Pettit, a longtime Balboa businesswoman and resident. “If it happens the way we hope, this will create an atmosphere that brings people back here.”

Like many beach areas, the Balboa Peninsula sees business pick up during the summer and drop off during the fall and winter.

But in recent years, merchants said, business has slowed down, causing a few shops to close.

The business district is in the heart of Newport Bay and is surrounded by tony beachfront homes.

Despite its picturesque surroundings, the area suffers from a parking shortage.

The arts projects are aimed at attracting local residents as well as tourists to the area, providing the island with a steady stream of customers year-round.

The Balboa Merchants-Owners Assn. also plans to start aggressively promoting the peninsula to potential visitors and merchants.

Some promotional ads will appear on cable television.

But the centerpiece of the revitalization drive is the art. It began in earnest last week when artist Debra Huse’s 8-by-10-foot mural was attached to the side of the Balboa Bakery at 301 Main St.

Huse’s mural depicts several girls sitting on a beach near a lifeguard tower. A message on the work reads: “Welcome to Newport Beach, Saluting the Arts.”

On Saturday, a second mural of swimming dolphins will be painted on the side of the Mel Fuchs Real Estate building, near Balboa Boulevard and Washington Street.

The dolphin mural will be designed by a local artist and painted with the help of students from Newport Elementary School.

In May, Balboa will host an arts and craft fair and musical concert.

“This is a wonderful location,” Pettit said. “We want this to be a place where people can come to meet, shop and enjoy themselves.”