If a work of art can enliven a home, then why not a business district?
Such was the rationale behind the latest murals and placemaking endeavor on the eastern end of the Highlandtown Main Street business district, and it seems to be working.
Shawn Glanville owns Savannah’s Island Bar and Grill, which fronts Eastern Avenue just east of David Cogdill’s new mural.
“I love it,” Glanville said of the piece, “Frontera,” which features a golden eagle, a national symbol for many of Latin American heritage.
It is located at the intersection of Grundy St., on what was once a bare wall.
“It’s a refreshing change from what was there before,” Glanville said. “I believe now that we have that much more vibrancy and color, it will add to the people coming to that area. It’s a definite plus to the businesses nearby, including mine.”
Larry Wilson, owner of Spiritual Hands Barbershop and Salon, located a couple doors from Savannah’s, concurred.
“It pulls your attention, and people want to go over and look,” he said. “It definitely gave the neighborhood a facelift.”
Cogdill, also known as “Nanook,” said that he had wanted to create “a specific statement on the Mexican and Central American experience of coming to the U.S. illegally, as well as a reflection on tools that are seemingly benign but ultimately violent.”
To represent such tools, Cogdill included a chain-link fence in his mural, a sharp contrast to his open-door policy while painting.
“I definitely enjoy the public aspect of making work in a public space,” he said. “It gives people a reason to start conversations with me.”
That’s the whole point of a public space, according to Amanda Smit-Peters, Highlandtown Main Street manager for the Southeast CDC.
“When you’re driving into Highlandtown, you’re now saying, ‘Wow, I’m in Highlandtown,’” she added.
Southeast CDC led the effort to fund and commission Cogdill’s mural, as well as another by Peruvian transplant Pablo Machioli, at Eastern Ave. and Eaton St. Physical site improvements, including lighting, new benches, custom hot pink trash cans and fencing, are also in the works.
“It’s all about incremental change over time,” Smit-Peters said, noting that the Main Street program’s objective is to complete smaller installations and events that work toward the larger goal of activating public spaces in the commercial district.
Such efforts have had a major impact further west in the business district, especially at the intersection of Eastern and East avenues. The corner is the site of both the High Grounds Coffee Roasters mural, lighting and outdoor seating, and the internationally famous “BUS” stop near the Creative Alliance.
“We wanted to have that impact at the other end of the district as well,” explained Elyse Oliver, an intern working with Smit-Peters on project management and development. She continued, “we’ve partnered with business owners around the intersection of Eastern Ave. and Grundy St. as well as the Highlandtown Business Association.”
The murals – which were made possible by a Community Legacy grant from the Department of Housing and Community Development for Placemaking in Highlandtown – will be unveiled throughout the summer and fall at events in the district, including the Sizzlin’ Summer Celebration on Friday, July 22 from 6-9 p.m., at Eastern Ave. and Grundy St.
The celebration will include music, art, games and food – from La Sirenita II Restaurant as well as Savannah’s. Event will be held rain-or-shine-or oppressive heat and is free to attend. “Highlights include water balloon cornhole, volleyball, and a misting area for cooling off,” said Oliver.
For the high-energy crowd, a bike tour of Southeast murals will leave from the Creative Alliance at 6pm and conclude at the event around 7pm. Bicycle parking will be available in the form of up-cycled palette bike racks.
“We’re making sure these public spaces are supported with both permanent infrastructure and events for the community,” Smit-Peters explained, adding that she is hoping to build momentum toward greater participation.
“Part of what we’re hoping to see is business owners and community members making improvements and planning events on their own over time,” she added, noting that to the west, Creative Alliance and High Grounds had as much a hand as agencies such as the Southeast CDC in activating the nearby public space. “It’s about all of us working together to create a vibrant and thriving neighborhood.”