Press

Mural Created to Showcase Strength, Spiritual Greatness of Newark Women (News 12 New Jersey, March 18, 2024)

These Stunning Murals Are Shouting Out the Influential Women of Newark (New Jersey Family, March 6, 2024)

The Project

Ferizaj is a small city in Kosovo that has grown dramatically. As part of recent construction, several pedestrian underpasses were built to allow people on foot to safely cross major roads and rail lines. However, some of the underpasses are unwelcoming and poorly lit, and so many people end up crossing the dangerous roads and tracks directly. Two pedestrian underpasses were transformed by teams of artists into urban galleries, encouraging residents to use the safe passages. This project also catalyzed the local government to add additional lighting to create a safer site for the pedestrians. Aligned with the city’s 150th Anniversary, this project helps further MuralFest Kosova’s efforts to improve public space and mobility in Ferizaj, and to make it a “city of murals.”

• The volume of pedestrians using the underpass increased by 23%
• The average duration of visit doubled in length
• The percentage of pedestrians who feel safe using the underpass increased from 37% to 84%

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Best Practice Highlight: Asphalt Art Design Bootcamp

MuralFest selected 15 young local artists from an open call to participate in a 4-day “bootcamp” to develop possible designs for the underpass. The artists were divided into 3 groups, each of which would come up with a design. On the first day, the        participants took measurements of the underpass and created a 3D model. They conducted over 300 interviews of people passing through or near the underpass to ask what themes they would like to see in the artwork. During the remainder of the camp, MuralFest staff worked with the artist teams to create their designs. The 3 designs were voted on by the public, and catalyzed an additional grant from a local partner to pay for a second needy underpass to be painted with the runner-up design.

Press

“Fragments of Utopia” for change through art (KOHA, June 23, 2023)

Ferizaj underpass one step closer to transformation into “urban gallery” (KOHA, April 21, 2023)

“MuralFest Kosova”, Ferizaj among 19 European cities, selected by Bloomberg Philanthropies (Gazeta Metro, October 11, 2022)

Ferizaj, part of the Asphalt Art global initiative for coloring the walkways (Zëri, October 10, 2022)

The Project

In Troy, New York, a raised highway cuts through the city, creating a 500-foot-long stretch of road underneath it that is surrounded by vast areas of blank concrete and monumental stanchions. A remnant of urban renewal efforts from the middle of last century, these cavernous spaces have functioned as a major physical, psychological, and ultimately socioeconomic barrier dividing the thriving downtown from lower-income residential areas to the north.

The “Uniting Line” project, a partnership between the City of Troy and the Arts Center of the Capital Region, has transformed the 500-foot stretch of concrete abutments below the bridge into a welcoming pedestrian space that encourages movement between neighborhoods. Through discussion panels and hundreds of community votes, Jade Warrick, a local artist, was selected to design the installation, which was installed by professional contractors and community volunteers over the course of several weeks. Warrick’s large-scale murals on 32 bridge piers unify the area visually and act as a colorful backdrop for activities that take place at the adjacent basketball courts, waterfront, and other open spaces. The art also makes clear that this is space designed for people, and not cars. Future phases of the project will install lighting and other improvements to further activate the area.

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Best Practice Highlight: Open Call for Artists

The Arts Center issued an open call, informed by community surveys, that invited regional artists from Troy and its surrounding counties to apply to design the murals for the “Uniting Line” project. Artists could apply only to design the mural or also to oversee the mural installation process; this flexibility allowed for artists without experience implementing large-scale public art projects to be considered alongside veteran public artists. Three finalist artists were chosen by a jury of administrators and community members, and were commissioned to develop designs, which were then shared with the community for feedback. The winning artist, Jade Warrick, had applied only to design the murals, so the Arts Center hired a project manager and a team of 15 mural artists and three apprentices to oversee the implementation and facilitate the community volunteer involvement.

Press

“Bridging the Divide” documentary (PBS (WMHT) February 17, 2022)

Mural adding a splash of color under Collar City Bridge (Times Union, October 13, 2021)

Community to help choose new Hoosick Street Bridge underpass mural (News 10 – Albany, May 21, 2021)

Troy wants to bridge Hoosick Street divide with art (Times Union, January 13, 2021)

The Project

“Waterworks,” designed by Scottish artist Gabriella Marcella in partnership with the Glasgow City Council and Civic Engineers, reimagines the forgotten space just outside of downtown at the entrance to Anderston Station, a major commuter hub and the nexus of major bike and pedestrian routes underneath the imposing M8 highway bridge above. Timed with the city’s hosting of the Conference of the Parties (COP), the UN’s annual global gathering of climate change representatives from around the world, Waterworks uses Gabriella’s colorful, eye-catching artwork, benches and other placemaking elements to enliven the area and improve navigation through the once-forgotten public space and encourage more people to walk, bike and take transit.

Tackling Climate Change with Asphalt Art

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Best Practice Highlight – Aligning with City Priorities: Sustainability

In addition to traditional public space elements, Waterworks includes an innovative rain garden feature designed to funnel rainfall from the highway above into a planted area in order to support native species and reduce flooding and harmful stormwater run-off. By incorporating efforts to reduce some of the most harmful impacts of climate change into an Asphalt Art Initiative project, Glasgow hopes to establish a new model for public space interventions elsewhere in the city and around the world.