LR group to pick street art finalists
Mural will grace South Main
After winning a grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies and receiving 24 artist applications, the Downtown Little Rock Partnership will be selecting finalists to design a street mural set to go on the asphalt at the intersection of 13th and South Main streets.
“This is part of the Bloomberg Asphalt [Art Initiative]. It was something we applied for and we were one of the cities that were picked,” said Gabe Holmstrom, the partnership’s executive director. “We’re excited to be a part of this.”
Though it is public art, the nature of this mural makes it especially practical, Holmstrom said.
“They have all these studies that say it makes an area safer when you install street art. It slows traffic down and serves as a good reminder that streets are for pedestrians and bicyclists as well as cars,” he said.
Most of the $25,000 grant will go toward the design and implementation of the mural, but part of it will be used to host an event around the mural’s painting, according to Holmstrom. The partnership plans on painting the mural in late May or early June.
Many artists have submitted their credentials to the Downtown Little Rock Partnership. On Wednesday, they will decide on three finalists who will get $500 to create a design for the asphalt art. The street mural’s artist will be picked on April 24 at their public spaces committee meeting.
This is the first mural that will be put directly on the street in Downtown Little Rock. A bustling intersection can be made safer by asphalt art according to Kyle Leyenberger, the partnership’s director of communications.
“It’s something different. So for drivers it’s more visible than the average crosswalk,” said Leyenberger. “It encourages people to slow down and look.”
Leyenberger selected this intersection because it was “in the heart of the South Main district and there are a lot of businesses surrounding it.” There is no light at the intersection and no stop sign for those driving on Main Street but there is a clearly painted crosswalk.