These are a few of the murals available free to area property owners with boarded up buildings. Several were painted by famous mural artists at Mural Fest 2015. The DPA is a volunteer group that creates and promotes public art. This project is made possible with public funds from the Chenango Arts Council’s Decentralization Program, a re-grant program of the NYS Council on the Arts, with support from Governor Cuomo and the NYS Legislature. Additional support for Broome County provided by the Stewart W. & Willma C. Hoyt Foundation. To arrange for a free mural or to learn more about this project please contact us at binghamtonbridge@gmail.com.
Fight the blight
Panoramic view of 511 Chenango St. the first installation of the Blight is our Canvas project. This mural of 11 panels and a citizen feedback blackboard uses a food theme to underscore the need for a Northside grocery. It was painted by individual artists at Mural Fest 2015.
Want a Mural? Free Art for Boarded up Properties
Mural Fest 2015 (April 26th) created about 30 Movable Murals on 4 X 8' panels to be affixed to boarded up properties in Binghamton neighborhoods. The first installation will be on a building on Chenango Street consisting of 11 food themed murals, given the Northside's lack of a grocery store. The Dept. of Public Art expects to install and celebrate the murals in May.
Other murals are available for property owners who have a boarded up building. And some of the available murals have been painted by world famous artists such as Damien Mitchell, or Nic707, and the Indigo Arts Collective of Brooklyn. Several of the murals were on display at the State St. Block Party. Photos of the murals are available.
If you know of a building that would qualify, please contact binghamtonbridge@gmail.com. Property owners must promise to notify the DPA if the building is renovated, re-purposed, or torn down, so that the mural can be put on another building.
Mural Fest a Hit!
31 artists, 7 bands, and huge crowds. The Dept. of Public Art painted 11 panels that will be placed on a boarded up building on Chenango Street in Binghamton. All the panels depict a food theme to make a point about how much the Northside needs a source of fresh food. The installation will be announced on this website. For more photos of the event go to the Dept of Public Art Facebook page.
The Movable Murals on boarded up properties is a new project to “take art into neighborhoods with abandoned buildings,” according to Peg Johnston of the DPA. “As these buildings are re-purposed we can move the mural panels to other locations where property owners request them.” It is supported by grants from the Chenango Co Arts Council and the Hoyt Foundation. *
*The Broome, Chenango & Otsego Decentralization (DEC) Program is administered by the Chenango Arts Council, and is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the NYS Legislature. Additional support for Broome County provided by the Stewart W. & Willma C. Hoyt Foundation.
Virtual Reality
On the first floor of the Water St Parking Ramp the Welcome to Birthplace of Virtual Reality mural gets people interested in the theme for the project.
1. The Bundy Manufacturing Co. (1893-1906) stood at 183-185 Water St., and became the International Time Recording Co (1906-7) and eventually IBM, which, of course, manufactured some of the first computers.
2. The Automatic Musical Co. (1907-14) took over the site to manufacture player pianos, which were robotic innovations.
3. Ed Link, famously, was sitting on the organ bellows at his father’s Link Piano Co. (1914-1933) and got the idea for the Link Flight Simulators (1929, patented 1931) and started Link Aviation and Flying School in that location (1929-34). The Link “blue box” trained WWII pilots.
4. After the devastating floods in 1935 and ’36 the building was not useable and in the late 60’s the Parking Ramp was built in two sections. The American Dance Asylum celebrated the architecture with several performances of the Parking Ramp Dance, which pioneered multi media, video feedback, and dance performances (1978, 1980, 1981, 1984).
Time Clock Stencil
The Birthplace of Virtual Reality mural project also includes stencils for each level of the parking ramp, correlating with the history of this site. The Time Clock, the Player Piano, the Blue Box flight simulator, and the Parking Ramp Dancer.
1. The Bundy Manufacturing Co. (1893-1906) stood at 183-185 Water St., and became the International Time Recording Co (1906-7) and eventually IBM, which, of course, manufactured some of the first computers.
2. The Automatic Musical Co. (1907-14) took over the site to manufacture player pianos, which were robotic innovations.
3. Ed Link, famously, was sitting on the organ bellows at his father’s Link Piano Co. (1914-1933) and got the idea for the Link Flight Simulators (1929, patented 1931) and started Link Aviation and Flying School in that location (1929-34). The Link “blue box” trained WWII pilots.
4. After the devastating floods in 1935 and ’36 the building was not useable and in the late 60’s the Parking Ramp was built in two sections. The American Dance Asylum celebrated the architecture with several performances of the Parking Ramp Dance, which pioneered multi media, video feedback, and dance performances (1978, 1980, 1981, 1984).
Stencils at the Parking Ramp
The Birthplace of Virtual Reality mural project also includes stencils for each level of the parking ramp, correlating with the history of this site. The Time Clock, the Player Piano, the Blue Box flight simulator, and the Parking Ramp Dancer.
1. The Bundy Manufacturing Co. (1893-1906) stood at 183-185 Water St., and became the International Time Recording Co (1906-7) and eventually IBM, which, of course, manufactured some of the first computers.
2. The Automatic Musical Co. (1907-14) took over the site to manufacture player pianos, which were robotic innovations.
3. Ed Link, famously, was sitting on the organ bellows at his father’s Link Piano Co. (1914-1933) and got the idea for the Link Flight Simulators (1929, patented 1931) and started Link Aviation and Flying School in that location (1929-34). The Link “blue box” trained WWII pilots.
4. After the devastating floods in 1935 and ’36 the building was not useable and in the late 60’s the Parking Ramp was built in two sections. The American Dance Asylum celebrated the architecture with several performances of the Parking Ramp Dance, which pioneered multi media, video feedback, and dance performances (1978, 1980, 1981, 1984).
Flight Simulator
The mural honoring the invention of the "blue box" flight simulator invented by Ed Link in Binghamton, NY on the site of the Water St. Parking Ramp. The "Birthplace of Virtual Reality" mural project by the Dept. of Public Art was funded by the Chenango Co Arts Council. the mural was designed and painted by Bruce Greig.
Virtual Reality Mural Project Celebrated; Community Meeting Planned
The Dept. of Public Art is celebrating the completion of their mural project at the Water St. Parking Ramp and looking forward to the next public art projects.
A follow up to the successful Third Thursday meeting will be held Tues Dec 2 7pm at Lost Dog Cafe. The brainstorming from the meeting yielded many ideas and new faces and energy. One major focus is the role of public art in blight remediation, using "movable murals." Another idea is to use trees, gardens and landscaping, including an arboretum of mixed species in the flood plain along the river.
More about the Virtual Reality Murals: “Punching In” commemorates the Bundy Time Recorder made by the Bundy Time Recording Co., the first to locate at 183-185 Water St, became IBM and led to the computer. “Punching In” on Level 2 C was painted last summer as part of a Mural Arts Training workshop.
The next business, the Automatic Musical Co., produced player pianos with robotics, another innovation necessary for virtual reality. The complicated robotics are captured in an air brushed mural designed by local artist Zach Wilson and painted by Bruce Greig, also on Level 2 C.
The Link family bought out that company and added organs to the line and Ed Link Jr. invented the flight simulator there and established a flight school on the property. The mural (on the basement level) depicting the tiny “blue box” or flight simulator shows the magnificent flight of a jet with the caption: “On this site Ed Link invented the flight simulator which transformed how pilots learn to fly.”
In the 1980’s, the American Dance Asylum mounted the Parking Ramp Dances which pioneered blending multi media, video feedback, and dance performances. The 4th floor stencil is of ADA choreographer and dancer Lois Welk.
COMPUTERS + ROBOTICS + SIMULATION + VIDEO FEEDBACK =VIRTUAL REALITY!!
The “Welcome to the Birthplace of Virtual Reality” mural greets people at the entrance of the Water St. Parking Ramp and shows a “Matrix” like virtual reality grid with computer code. In addition to the flight simulator mural, it was designed and painted by master mural artist Bruce Greig.
Each level of the ramp represents one of these innovative technologies: time clock, player piano, flight simulator, dancer, and is also a different color, helping people remember where they are parked.
The Dept of Public Art is a group of volunteers, artists and activists who promote public art and execute public art projects. DPA is sponsored by the Center for Gender, Art, and Culture and the Virtual Reality Mural Project was supported by a grant from the Chenango Arts Council and the Hoyt Foundation. For more information email binghamtonbridge@gmail.com.
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Mural Course at BCC
