Matthews, NC

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023

Project Category: Public art installations

Description: Crestdale, an historic community in Matthews, lacked public art and safe pedestrian connections. A section of the Matthews Heritage Trail ran along a road without sidewalks, creating safety concerns and limiting trail continuity. To address this, the town installed a colorful mural on the advisory shoulder to mark the trail and improve visibility. Residents joined a community event to help paint the mural, and plans include adding a bench for resting along the route. The mural makes the trail easier to navigate, draws attention to Crestdale's history and encourages more people to explore the area.

Loogootee, IN

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Public art installations

Description: As part of efforts to create a new, multi-use community space, the Loogootee Beautification Committee commissioned a local artist to create a massive mural downtown. Community members worked with the artist to plan the artwork, which they then installed on the side of an abandoned building on Loogootee's main square. Work occurred as the City prepared to renovate the building and revitalize the area. In the future, the City hopes to hold its annual festival at the site of the mural. Project organizers also report the project helped gather community feedback, which will inform future placemaking projects.

North Hero, VT

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022

Project Category: Public art installations

Description: In a rural town where isolation is common among older adults, the library created an outdoor space to foster connection and creativity. It installed a circular word garden with etched stones and ADA-compliant benches, complemented by raised beds. A kickoff event drew residents to arrange words into poems and phrases. The garden is now a permanent feature that brings grandparents and grandchildren together. As one visitor said, "My niece didn't even want to come to the library, but after playing with the word garden, she doesn't want to leave."