Compass Map

The theme of this mural was a cityscape map of the neighborhood surrounding the mural site. Images and ideas were inspired by conversations and sketches from the seniors across the street at New Courtland. Some prompts we asked the seniors when discussing design: what are images of your favorite buildings? What did the house or houses you grew up in look like? Most of the seniors requested imagery from the surrounding neighborhood, so the theme focused around the direct area of the mural site.

The mural is also about drawing, printmaking, and collage as well as painting. It is as much about the process of making a collage as it is about the final piece. I use a combination of printmaking and drawing media to create my unique works on paper and designs for public art projects such as this.

Some neighborhood buildings represented in this piece: Thankful Baptist Church (rose window), row homes along Allegheny Avenue, the train station at Broad and Allegheny, 10th Memorial Baptist Church, The Doll Museum, Uptown Theater, the church at Broad and Allegheny, New Courtland Senior Center, a SEPTA train drawn by a senior, a view down Allegheny Ave from Compass Storage, Charlies Tire Service, and a factory behind the mural site.

This is a colorful mural with 30 different colors. It is 2,600 square feet. It is over a garage of a storage facility and next to a train trestle. It can be seen up close and further away. The experience of the mural is different from both view points.