Erie Arts & Culture, United Way of Erie County, Our West Bayfront and additional supporters and community members gathered at the site of the first completed mural in the Purposeful Placemaking project. The press conference was held July 11, 2022 at 10 a.m. at the corner of 11th and Weschler Streets, along United Way’s Safer Walking Routes to School route for Strong Vincent Middle School students. Strong Vincent is a United Way community school.
Miami-based artist Nicole Salgar will depart Erie after successfully completing the first mural in a series planned for this summer, with the eventual shared goal of 50 murals completed along the Safer Walking Routes to School. In addition to Erie Arts & Culture through the Erie Arts Endowment, funders to-date include the City of Erie and Erie Insurance. Sherwin Williams Commercial Paint Store has been instrumental in securing mural paint and supplies at a discounted cost. Nicole was assisted over the last two weeks by a team of Erie-based artist assistants (Sarah Howard, Raina Harden, Katherine Peters and Precious Thompson.) Additional community engagement has been fostered thanks to a partnership with Our West Bayfront.
“So many members of the community have stopped by as the mural takes shape. It’s fulfilling and uplifting to hear neighbors talk about how much they love the addition of color and how incredibly happy they are that their neighborhood was selected to receive this mural,” said Patrick Fisher, Erie Arts & Culture executive director.
Additional artists slated to be a part of the Purposeful Placemaking project planned for this summer include:
-Emily Ding will be painting the Remnant Store along Pfeiffer-Burleigh Elementary’s route from July 17-24. Emily will be assisted by Erie residents Cally Paparelli and Doug Bailey.
-Ana Balcazar will paint Curry Point from July 22 through August 5. Her four assistants will be Calie Maloney, Precious Thompson, Raina Harden and Jamarion Hobson. Curry Point is also along the Pfeiffer-Burleigh Elementary route.
-Several Erie-based artists including Antonio Howard will also be starting their murals towards the end of July. Howard plans to paint Atkinson's Barber Shop along McKinley Elementary’s route from July 25 through August 8.
-Alex Ann Allen will paint801 East Avenue August 20-30. This property is owned by Johnson Real Estate Properties. Alex's assistants will be Jessica Borcher and Bella Fried.
Read more about Purposeful Placemaking here.