AARP Eye Center
AARP Livable Communities Map
Brand the Moth (2021) Print
2021 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Public art installations
└ Public art installations
Charlotte's Little Sugar Creek Greenway is a popular place for pedestrians, but the path through the Parkwood underpass tunnel was dark and uninviting. Working with local partners, Brand the Moth gave the tunnel new life. The organization commissioned two local artists to design a mural, which volunteers helped install during a community paint day. The new artwork represents Charlotte's people, communities and nature. Residents and visitors can now take a walking tour through the mural. Project organizers say they hope the public art project attracts more people to use the greenway.
Photo Gallery
Image:
Click on a photo to learn more
See More Projects Like This One
Englewood, NJ
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public art installations
Description: After a local ordinance update to allow murals in Englewood, the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation set out to create public art celebrating Black women's history. The Foundation commissioned an artist to create the Black Women's Mural Project's first installation, which celebrates the work of Black suffragists who fought to expand voting rights to women. Two community engagements coincided with the mural's installation, where community members could watch the artist work. Participants learned more about the artists' vision and the history informing the subject matter. Organizers invited residents to share their feedback and personal stories. Additionally, the Foundation provided information on registering to vote, as well as polling locations and hours. To celebrate the new artwork, they also produced a documentary about the mural.
Baltimore, MD
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Public art installations
Description: This project hosted a series of workshops where residents created a glass and ceramic mosaic. Art with a Heart then installed the completed artwork on the University of Maryland Medical Center's Midtown Campus. The mosaic depicts local people, houses and landmarks surrounded by a swirl of colorful flowers and features the words, We hear. We teach. We discover. We care.
Newton, KS
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Public art installations
Description: This project will convert the back of a billboard into a mixed-media mural depicting figures and images representing Kansas history, adding vibrancy to a park located near a train station.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Charlotte, NC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Before the advent of air conditioning, a Southern home was not complete without a front porch with a swing. To replicate the experience of gathering on a porch, the City of Charlotte installed swings at two bus stops in place of the more traditional bench. Located along Belmont Avenue -- a corridor where many older adults rely on public transportation -- the two-person swings provide a space for riders to socialize as they wait for their bus. Inspired by the popularity of the swings, the City is exploring other opportunities for placemaking around local bus stops.
Charlotte, NC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Access to high-speed internet
Description: Work-from-home protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the digital divide between those with high-speed internet access at home and those without a fast connection. To bridge that rift, the North End Community Coalition began a Wi-Fi lending program. The initiative allows residents to borrow tablets and hotspot devices for up to three weeks at no cost. In addition, the coalition partnered with local schools to provide hotspots and tablets to students. To bring connectivity to Charlotte's older residents, the coalition also wired two local senior apartment complexes for free Wi-Fi access. NECC has continued to work toward greater digital access by offering technology training. In 2022, the organization hosted an event with the Center for Digital Equity where North End residents received free laptops, met with digital navigators and had the option to sign up for reduced-cost internet service.
LEARN MORE AND STAY INFORMED
Find articles and resources about making communities more livable for people of all ages
Download or order free publications from AARP Livable Communities
Sign up for the free, weekly, award-winning AARP Livable Communities eNewsletter
Don't see your community listed?
LEARN HOW IT CAN JOIN THE NETWORKConnect with your AARP State Office
AARP has offices in all 50 states as well as in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
AARP North Carolina State Office
5511 Capital Center Drive
Suite 400
Raleigh, NC 27606
United States