Announcing our Spark Project - A Community Painted Mural
A rendering of the mural on the south lawn of Old Central School. (artist: Erick Toussaint)
The Alliance is excited to announce our Spark Project - the first of many visual initiatives for Downtown Grand Rapids. The project consists of adding a new interactive mural on the south lawn of Old Central School. The Alliance partnered with an artist on the design, but is asking for the community’s assistance in helping paint it.
The mural will mainly feature loon wings with an opening in the center, setting the stage for visitors to place themselves in the design for a photo opportunity. To assist with photos, a selfie station will be available for people to place their device while they stand in front of the mural to take a picture.
To engage the community, the mural will be partially filled in by artist Erick Toussaint, but will require the community’s participation to fill in the rest during a community painting event to be announced soon.
The Alliance is also asking the community to support the completion of the mural by donating towards the project. Executive Director Chris Walker shares his excitement for the mural and the importance of this project.
“Public art and murals play such a vital role in the vibrancy and character of a downtown. They create intrigue and excitement for people visiting, and are a source of pride for area residents. This particular mural has various nods to the area, with references to our logging history, the Ruby Slippers, our community’s love for hockey, and much more. Our hope is this will draw more foot traffic downtown, and create an engaging experience for both residents and visitors. After folks snap a photo of the mural, we encourage them to share it on social media to promote Downtown Grand Rapids.”
The artist behind the design of the mural is Erick Toussaint, whose work is already featured locally inside The Pines Restaurant. Toussaint collaborated with the Alliance’s Activate! Committee to create a design featuring a variety of items representing the Grand Rapids area.
Future plans for the lawn are to also add a walkway from the existing sidewalk and other accessibility options.