The Asphalt Art mural is here!

The corner of Crutchfield and Glass is looking sunnier lately. During the month of April, we worked with philanthropic powerhouses, beloved businesses and resident experts (not to mention Hardy Elementary all-stars) to create, vet and install a block-long asphalt mural. The sun ray design was crafted by artist Kevin Bate and selected by residents. But bringing it to life? That was truly a community-wide labor of love.

   

Supported by a grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies, we partnered with the Chattanooga Department of Transportation and Chattanooga Design Studio to plan the mural. Our goal was to place it at an intersection with lots of foot traffic, to encourage vehicle traffic to slow down, and beautify the area. Given the opening of a new Save-A-Lot at the corner, this stretch of Crutchfield skipped recent infrastructure improvements so it felt like a perfect candidate for some bright art, a new community space, and a slow-down.

Once our plans were in place, a squad of volunteers, residents and students brought it to life, helping with painting, plantings and the creation of beautiful gathering spaces nearby.

The mural was unveiled at the grand opening block party for Save A Lot — our new neighbor! — along with a temporary community space and boardwalk. From start to finish, the asphalt art project has been a community-owned public safety project, leaning on local businesses, schools and residents to help make Glass Street cleaner, safer and more inviting.

While our mural is truly one of a kind, we’re also proud to be part of a series of asphalt art projects supported by Bloomberg. You can read more about their program and impact in a recent New York Times piece here (and watch out for a special Glass House shout-out).

Learn more about the full Asphalt Art mural at our project page.

You can also learn more about the Planning by Doing workshop that inspired this project here.