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Meet the Makers: 6 Artists & Creatives Shaping Lompoc
Lompoc doesn’t just display art. It lives it.
Around every corner of Old Town, color spills across walls, galleries welcome local talent, and hands-on experiences invite visitors to create something of their own.
It’s a city where creativity is part of everyday life, and the best way to experience it is to see it in person.
Spend a day exploring, and you’ll quickly discover the artists who shape its identity.
1. Vicki Andersen: The Storyteller Behind the Murals
Vicki Andersen is a key figure in transforming Lompoc’s Old Town into an open-air gallery.
The mural program began in the late 1980s as a way to revitalize the city through public art, transforming blank walls into large-scale works that celebrate the city’s history, agriculture, and community stories.
As both an artist and a leader within the Lompoc Mural Society, Andersen has played an important role in guiding that vision forward.
Her mural Lost Mission, depicting Mission Vieja, the original La Purísima Mission site before it was destoryed by an earthquake and rebuilt in the early 1800s, is among the works that reflect the region’s past.
Where to find her online: Vicki Andersen’s website
Where to find her work: Lost Mission, 119 E Walnut Ave.
2. Linda Gooch: Turning Downtown Into a Canvas
Lompoc’s murals are one of the city’s defining features, transforming everyday streets into an outdoor art experience that draws visitors into Old Town.
Artist Linda Gooch contributed to that identity through An Artist’s Cottage, a trompe l’oeil mural (an art technique that creates a realistic optical illusion) that turns the Cypress Gallery building into a whimsical Victorian-style home.
The piece has become one of downtown’s most recognizable landmarks and a favorite stop for visitors exploring the mural route.
Where to find her online: Linda Gooch’s website
Where to find her work: Cypress Gallery, 119 E Cypress Ave.
3. Rick Skillin: Capturing the Natural World
Nature photographer Rick Skillin documents the landscapes and wildlife of the Central Coast, focusing on the environments that surround Lompoc and define its natural character.
His work reflects the region’s open spaces, coastal light, and native habitats.
Where to find his work: Cypress Gallery, 119 E Cypress Ave.
4. Denise Neumann: Creativity in Bloom at the Lavender Farm
At Santa Rita Hills Lavender Farm, creativity extends into hands-on experiences surrounded by lavender fields.
Co-founder Denise Neumann has helped shape a space where visitors can take part in seasonal workshops and creative activities.
One of the most popular offerings is wreath-making classes, where guests craft custom lavender wreaths using fresh blooms harvested directly from the farm.
Where to find her online: Santa Rita Hills Lavender Farm website
Where to find her work: Santa Rita Hills Lavender Farm, 1900 Tularosa Rd.
5. Angelina LaPointe: Printmaking With Purpose
Artist and printmaker Angelina LaPointe brings a hands-on approach to Lompoc’s creative scene through Sidecar Press, where she creates work using traditional block printing and an antique letterpress.
Each piece is built through ink, pressure, and texture, giving it a distinct, tactile quality.
Her process blends carved linoleum blocks with historic printing equipment, creating prints that feel both timeworn and contemporary.
LaPointe also leads hands-on printmaking workshops that guide participants through carving, inking, and printing their own work, making the creative process something visitors can experience firsthand.
Where to find her online: Sidecar Press
Where to find her work: Workshops often held New Lows, 104 W Ocean Ave.
6. Kristine Kelly: Art in Glass
Glass artist Kristine Kelly creates landscape painting using kiln-fired glass that explore color, texture, and light.
Her work depicts nature and draws the viewer through a garden, along a path, or over striking hills. She often uses the foothills of Southern California and the marine life near the Channel Island as inspiratin for her glass-fusion pieces.
Where to find her online: Kristine Kelly’s Facebook page
Where to find her work: Cypress Gallery, 119 E Cypress Ave.
Explore Lompoc’s Creative Side
The best way to experience Lompoc’s art scene is to explore it firsthand.
Take a self-guided mural tour through Old Town, where large-scale paintings transform everyday streets into an open air art tour.
👉 Our downloadable mural map makes it easy.
👉 Check out our list of 8 Must-See Murals.
Stop by Cypress Gallery to view rotating exhibits from local and regional artists, or plan your visit during an Art Walk, when downtown comes alive with open galleries, artist interactions, and creative energy.
👉 Learn more about Cyrpress Gallery.
Where Creativity Meets Place
Lompoc’s identity is shaped by its makers.
From muralists and painters to photographers, printmakers, sculptors, and hands-on creators, each contributes to a city where art is part of daily life.
It’s an art scene best experienced in person. Book a stay and discover the creative spirit that continues to shape Lompoc from the ground up.
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