All Over Albany

Orange Street mural, in progress

We took a few minutes this week to stop by the new mural that's in progress on Orange Street in Albany's Sheridan Hollow neighborhood. Even the mosaic is just starting to be installed, its mirrored pieces are already reflecting light and adding energy to the wall of 255 Orange.

The work is sponsored by the Community Loan Fund of the Capital Region and the Albany Center for Economic Success, and it's intended to "serve as a visual reminder of the beauty, vibrancy and deep community roots of this neighborhood." More background blurbage from the Community Loan Fund:

The project began last summer at the Philip Schuyler Achievement Academy's and the Boys' and Girls' Club summer youth program. Guided by Liz Vigoda, a local potter, and Jillian Hirsch, a ceramic muralist, we made tiles with the students. The response was so positive, we were asked to make it a district project. With coordination from Kate Wright, the Art Department Chairperson, we had 16 Albany City schools - and more than 2,000 children - make tiles for this community mural. ... In addition to the Albany City School District, the Albany Academy for Girls, the Albany Institute of History and Art, Delta Academy, the Greater Albany Chapter of Jack and Jill, St. Anne's Institute and the Sheridan Hollow Neighborhood Association participated in tile making.

Jillian Hirsch designed the mural and is overseeing the artistic portion of this project. She met with the Sheridan Hollow Neighborhood Association, residents and community advocates to Urban Resilience Imageensure that the community's vision was included. The theme of the mural is Urban Resilience (resilience of the neighborhood, the community and its residents). The design is a bright depiction of honey bees and monarch butterflies in a wild flower garden. It will be installed this month and we'll need LOTS of volunteers to help cement the tiles on to the wall and to grout the tiles.

There's a community tiling day this Saturday, July 16 from noon-4 pm that's open to anyone who would like to help. The project is also looking for volunteers and donors to help with the transformation of the side lot by the mural into a green space. (Details at that first link above.)

Here are a few more pics of the mural so far...

Look up

The pics are above in large format -- click or scroll all the way up.

Earlier on AOA

+ Checking in on the redevelopment in Albany's Sheridan Hollow neighborhood

+ Flocking to downtown