The Bridge

Binghamton's Community Link

Dinosaur Mural in Residence at Johnson City Factory

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Members of the Dept. of Public Art installed a mural on the factory at 19 Avenue B in Johnson City. Master Muralist Bruce Greig created a mural in panels that gives the illusion that a dinosaur is inside the factory looking out. “It’s a playful mural that brings new life to this factory,” according to Peg Johnston of the DPA.

Johnson City has recently announced the first phase of a renovation to save the building. “This mural brings attention to the possibilities for this building and the development possibilities for Johnson City,” said Johnston.

For more photos see our facebook page at Dept of Public Art and listen to story on Radio Bundy 99.5 FM. The Dept of Public Art has created many murals in the Floral Ave. Park to the delight of the children and families who use the Park.

For more information see www.deptofpublicart.com, on Facebook or contact us at deptofpublicart@gmail.com.

Week One of Parking Ramp Mural Project

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Week Two at the Parking Ramp witnessed 20+ volunteers of the APO Service Fraternity descend upon the parking ramp and leave behind lots of color in the stairwells. Part of the overall Virtual Reality project is to improve directions. Each level has a different color and symbol stenciled on each level.

It was a great weekend for public art!! The Dept of Public Art started work on the Water St. Parking Ramp, the Jablons and several helpers worked on mosaics on the planters on Water St. and Kady Perry, Bruce Greig and others began photographing for murals of children on the Flood Wall. The public seemed to appreciate the art too–spare change and dollar bills were donated freely to the DPA, "enough to buy 2-3 gallons of paint" according to organizers. "We are really heartened by the outpouring of support from people using the parking ramp. It is clear that people appreciate what we are doing to improve the ramp," commented Peg Johnston.

Here is a video of Day One, by videographer Mark Urban:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZ26nqa2LuE
 

Video of Day Two, also by videographer Mark Urban; Music by local favorite Dan Pokorak:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PbTjfs_Dag
And there is such a need for improvements. Volunteers, cleaned the stairwells, scraped loose paint off walls, and put color blocks on each level. Artists painted stencils for each level too. The orange first level is the Bundy time clock, which became IBM and led to the computer; the next is green and is the Player Piano level; the blue level is for the Blue Box, the flight simulator that Ed Link invented on the ramp site, and finally the pink Dancer level that represents the Parking Ramp Dances sponsored by the American Dance Asylum.

If you are interested in volunteering, sign up here: www.tinyurl.com/DPAVolunteers.

Many more photos on the Facebook page Dept. of Public Art.

 

 

 

Man One: Mural Arts in Binghamton TUES & WED!!

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On March 25 AND 26th, ManOne will be in Binghamton to engage with the Binghamton and BU Communities about public art. He has just agreed to speak at a community meeting sponsored by the Dept. of Public Art on Wednesday March 26th (gather at 6:30 program at 7 pm) at the Cooperative Gallery 213 State St. Binghamton.

BU’s GEN10, whose mission is to lead innovation and creativity in our city, to change mindsets, and transform culture, is flying an urban artist from LA, Man One, into Binghamton to visit and interact with people in the community. Man One transformed downtown L.A. with the power of art, and now he wants to do the same in Binghamton!

Along with a number of other highly involved community members and organizations we will be hosting a speaking event where he will share his story and offer guidance on how to make Binghamton a better place to live, work, and enjoy. The Tuesday March 25th event will be held at 7pm in Old Union Hall on the Binghamton University Campus.

This is part of a bigger plan to put on a downtown Binghamton Mural Festival in May, with Man One as the catalyst for change. This will involve all segments of the community and the meetings he will have with residents will inform the murals we can create. For more information contact binghamtonbridge@ gmail.com.

 

Way Cool!

This vintage photo is the first in the series of the Happiness Project posted on abandoned buildings. This is a house on Way St., once owned by the city of Binghamton, now torn down. In fact, most of the buildings tagged by the Happiness Project have been torn down!

 

Flood Wall Mural

Kady Perry puts finishing touches on a mural on Water St. in Binghamton to commemorate the terrible impact of the 2011 floods. The project was sponsored by the S.O.M. Scholars at Binghamton University. The students pick a community project each year and this year the projects are flood related. Previous projects have been the Discovery Center Story Garden and the Laurel Community Garden among others.

Kady Perry, a Binghamton muralist, spoke with groups of flood victims through Project Renew, a mental health project for those affected by the floods. She created a “wordle” based on their words. The flood wall was painted green for a great length of the wall which is a popular walking/biking trail that skirts the river all the way to Cheri Lindsay Park beyond the Binghamton Plaza. “Passersby were yelling encouragement all weekend,” Perry noted.

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