Purposeful Placemaking is leveraging art, community schools and neighborhoods. On Monday, July 11, the first of 50 murals was completed and celebrated by community members on the corner of West 11th and Weschler Streets along the
Safer Walking Routes to School for both Harding Elementary and Strong Vincent Middle Schools.
The City’s $150,000 in ARP funding is enabling Erie Arts & Culture to create 10 murals: 2 at each of United Way of Erie County’s five community schools in the heart of the city: East, Edison, McKinley, Pfeiffer-Burleigh, Strong Vincent. There are 11 more murals to be created this summer and fall, followed by 38 murals in 2023.
According to Mayor Joe Schember, “Art is uplifting, and everyone should have access to it. One way to accomplish that is through the creation of public art at the community level! My team and I believe that murals and other public art projects positively transform our neighborhoods. They also provide paid opportunities for the talented artists who live in Erie. I'm inspired by how this beautiful tapestry improves the visual landscape for children as they walk to and from school.”
He continued saying, “Placemaking projects such as this mural are more than just colors on a wall. They lift up our neighborhoods, foster conversations, celebrate our unique nature, and promote our rich, cultural diversity. Diversity makes us stronger and more welcoming to new ideas, innovations, and perspectives. We are a community bound together by the threads of our ethnic heritage.”
Did you miss the press conference? Cook Media captured drone footage of the mural. Check out the video below.
