The drab driveway in front of Syracuse’s City Hall has been transformed into a colorful work of art, thanks to a mural that is the latest of many to have popped up in Syracuse over the past few years.
However, this one had a lot more community input, say organizers. The lead artist — Jessica Whitley, a Syracuse University graduate student — was chosen by a design committee from a community-wide contest.
Whitley says she drew inspiration for the design from her own experience growing up in Syracuse.
“At the bottom of the tree you can see the hands that are essentially representing community hands that support the city of Syracuse, and any change or advocacy that is facilitated through City Hall,” she said. “You see really bright branches that represent the future of Syracuse. On the side you see the skyline celebrating the past, present, and future of Syracuse.”
The "open source" approach meant Whitley had a lot of community help on the project, from other residents eager to paint the pavement, says Michael John Heagerty, who chairs the Syracuse Public Arts Commission.
“A little girl and her dad painting on this side, half the Crunch team painting on that side. We all just slapped it down and did it together,” he said.
Entitled “City Hall Plaza,” the city's newest mural is painted at the bottom of the steps at City Hall. City officials urge anyone in downtown to come take advantage of the table and chairs they’ve placed over it.
The project the reclaiming of public space for residents and was made possible by funding from the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Asphalt Art Initiative, a program designed to beautify public space through community engagement with art. The city also partnered with the nonprofit Adapt CNY, which gives artists a platform to create art and connect with Central New York.