Columbus Area Arts Council | 16th Street Neighborhood Asphalt Art Initiative

16TH STREET NEIGHBORHOOD

ASPHALT ART PROJECT

About the Project

The asphalt artwork is a ground plane mural installed along 16th Street between the intersections of Home Avenue and Union Street, near a residential neighborhood and budding commercial node. This project is made possible by the Bloomberg Philanthropies Asphalt Art Initiative grant program with additional support from the City of Columbus and Columbus Regional Health (CRH) Healthy Communities.

Key Project Goals

Transform the neighborhood with a visually appealing artwork that inspires and uplifts residents and visitors.
Improve walkability, street and pedestrian safety, and increase foot traffic in the designated area.
Enhance social connectivity and economic growth through creative placemaking and art activation.

About the Artist Team: Cory Robinson and Shamira Wilson

Cory Robinson is an artist, designer, and professor at the Herron School of Art and Design - IUPUI in Indianapolis, IN. He has an MFA in Applied Design from San Diego State University. His bodies of artwork represent many different explorations within the field of furniture design and contemporary art. The work, spanning nearly 20 years, embodies numerous concepts including; the creation of form using unique manufacturing processes, designing objects as a way to relay a narrative and recently a study of form and color with works on paper and other 2-D materials.

Shamira Wilson is an Indianapolis-based interdisciplinary visual artist. She received a BA in Psychology from Johns Hopkins University in 2004, and has studied Furniture Design at the Herron School of Art and Design. Her current work uses textiles, architecture, and plants as metaphors to speak about connections and cycles of care in our relationships to ourselves and our communities, and to explore stewardship to the environment. Through this work she is expanding on the artistic traditions of women who have used gardening, quilting, and storytelling as a tool to share aspects of everyday life, the spiritual practices of Black and indigenous communities, and to share information across generations.

About the Design

Wilson and Robinson’s approach to the 16th Street project builds on strengths and similarities between the individual artists, while striving to find new ways of working with shared themes to explore new ideas for the site. Playing with the vocabulary of grids, muted and vibrant color palettes and a series of repeated “leaf” shapes has led the creative team to the initial proposal.

Volunteer

About the City of Columbus, Indiana and Project Site

Columbus, Indiana is known for its rich cultural heritage, filled with a world-renowned collection of architecture, public art, and civic-minded design. The project site is located near the intersection of 16th Street and Home Avenue; this location was selected by the City due to its recent identification in the Columbus Central Neighborhood Plan as an important commercial node for the surrounding neighborhood.

About the Asphalt Art Initiative

The Asphalt Art Initiative grant program is designed to fund visual art interventions on roadways, pedestrian spaces, and public infrastructure in small- and medium-sized U.S. cities (with populations of 30,000–500,000) with goals of improving street and pedestrian safety, revitalizing and beautifying underutilized public space, and promoting collaboration and civic engagement in local communities. Out of 200 applications, Columbus was one of 16 cities selected; see the full list at asphaltart.bloomberg.org/grantees.

About the Columbus Area Arts Council

The Columbus Area Arts Council has been a leading arts agency in Bartholomew County since 1972, partnering with state, regional and local arts and culture organizations to bring the arts to everyone. CAAC is a not-for-profit corporation supported by public and private donations, the City of Columbus, the Indiana Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information, visit artsincolumbus.org.

COVID-19 Policy

Health and safety are a top priority for our community, organizations, and the selected artist/artist team. As we closely monitor the COVID-19 pandemic, project implementation dates are subject to change. During project implementation, the parties involved will follow local, state and national guidance related to in-person meetings, travel, and public gatherings, taking precautionary measures and using physical distancing and virtual communication when possible.

Cultural Equity Statement

With a vision “to be the central resource for the arts by inspiring a creative life for all,” CAAC is committed to providing everyone access to the arts. We are actively shaping a creative community that is inclusive, diverse and equitable, welcoming participation regardless of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, or religion.