Photo by Jay Paul
An art installation at the intersection of Brook Road and West Marshall Street gives new meaning to the term “street art,” through a vibrant mural designed by local artist Chris Visions that was painted on the pavement by Richmond Public Schools students who participated in a summer residency program with Art 180.
The mural is part of a placemaking project that includes a new parklet and pedestrian plaza at the triangular intersection. The parklet, designed by Walter Parks Architects, is next to Art 180’s studio and provides a space for participants in the nonprofit’s programs to hang out.
The mural references Jackson Ward’s history and is based on the Sankofa, an Andinkra symbol from Ghana, with red, black and green echoing the colors of the Pan-African flag.
“I love the intersection of public art, placemaking and community building that this intersection promotes,” says Marlene Paul, Art 180’s co-founder and executive director. “We hope the parklet and plaza will be active spaces that invite the community beyond our block to gather and connect. The mural is intended to slow cars, just as the parklet and plaza will seek to slow human beings — to gather, connect, intersect.”
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