by Malissa Ramos

Alumna Mimi Haddon (1994, B.F.A., graphic design) was selected by the City of Santa Monica to have her art featured on the face of special Santa Monica Expo commemorative Transit Access Pass (TAP) cards and Santa Monica city banners.

After reviewing 27 submitted proposals, the City of Santa Monica Cultural Affairs Division commissioned three local artists’ designs for TAP cards celebrating the city and the arrival of the new Metro Expo line.

Haddon and artists Cindy Bendat and Thomas Eatherton were the three selected whose designs are featured on the commemorative TAP cards.

“I am a big fan of public art, so I consider this a true honor to have my work out in the public in the form of the TAP Cards and on banners that line the streets and metro stops,” said Haddon.

The 6.6-mile extension of the Expo Line to Santa Monica opened on May 20, allowing riders to travel between downtown Los Angeles and the Pacific Ocean for the first time in over 60 years.

The limited-edition TAP cards are available for purchase for $2 each at two locations: City Hall Mobility Center at 1685 Main St., Santa Monica, CA 90401 and at the Blue: The Transit Store at 1444 4th St., Santa Monica, CA 90401.

Haddon originally created the image “Saint Monica” in 2012 for a blog called Global Yodel, which encourages artists to respond to the city in which they live in a creatively visual manner.

“I have lived in Santa Monica since 1995, and the Santa Monica Pier and Ferris Wheel are strong and colorful symbols of the city for me,” Haddon said. “I consider the female to be a protective spirit that overlooks the city and reminds its residents to respect the precious ecosystem under our feet.”

Haddon has been a photographer since her undergraduate studies in the early 1990s. Shortly after graduating from CSULB in 1994, Haddon moved to Paris for a year to study French and photography. While in Paris, Haddon even set up her own darkroom in her small apartment.

After moving back to California, Haddon worked as a graphic designer for two years before changing her career to photography. She is now back at CSULB working towards her M.F.A in Fiber Art.

In her free time, Haddon offers workshops for children and adults in her home studio in Santa Monica where she shares her love of textiles, dyeing, sewing and fiber sculpture.