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Friends of Downtown Hendersonville (2021) Print
2021 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Public art installations
└ Public art installations
Herdersonville has two discrete downtown districts and recently created a safe pedestrian pathway to connect them. Friends of Downtown Hendersonville's initiative beautified the path and dubbed it the Downtown Art Route. First, the organization held an art contest. Then volunteers painted three winning designs onto the path's pavement. The Hendo Bee Line mural depicts pollinator flowers, while another mural features five hands spelling the word Hendo in American Sign Language. A third stretch of sidewalk showcases artwork depicting bears in a mountain landscape. Since the project completed, organizers are looking for locations to install more public art in the future.
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Lafayette, IN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Public art installations
Description: Neglected lots in the historic Lincoln neighborhood eroded community pride and left older residents feeling disconnected. To restore the sense of connection, the city partnered with a community arts group and residents to create murals based on stories collected from long-time neighbors. Residents helped choose sites and artists, and a dedication event celebrated the transformation of neglected spaces into vibrant art. The project cleared the lot and sparked new investment while fostering connection. One artist even invited a neighbor to add her own brushstrokes. Another artist noticed how neighbors stopped by with encouragement and support, underscoring the sense of ownership and gratitude.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Granby, CO
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Public art installations
Description: Granby hosted the RKY MTN WALLS street art festival, Grand County's first ever mural festival. Over seven days, Denver-based artists created eight massive murals on Main Street, which celebrate the area's diversity and culture. The festival also featured cornhole competitions, face painting and opportunities to create art on canvasses provided by event organizers. Following the festival, residents formed a public art committee to continue promoting community art.
Mount Sterling, KY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Public art installations
Description: Gateway Regional Arts Center improved a busy trail where older adults needed accessible places to rest, socialize and engage with community history. The project installed four ADA-accessible picnic tables and three interactive interpretive signs, immediately adding comfort and opportunities to learn. Eighteen volunteers, including many age 50-plus, supported planning and installation, and a history board of older adults shaped the content. The upgrades are drawing thousands of passersby and festival-goers and have renewed momentum for future features. Older residents' stories informed the panels, strengthening ties between the trail and nearby services.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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Hendersonville, NC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Bikeability
Description: With the highest pedestrian fatality rate among small towns in North Carolina, and a population that is more than half age 50-plus, Hendersonville faced urgent mobility challenges. To improve safety, the city installed 160 shared lane markings linking neighborhoods to downtown and the future Ecusta Trail. It also added two bike repair stations at key hubs and placed seven custom bike racks in high-traffic areas. These visible upgrades make biking safer and more convenient while encouraging active transportation. The project also spurred plans for a long-term bike parking strategy and updated bicycle plan. One resident said, "These amenities are fantastic additions to our city."
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Asheville, NC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: After Buncombe County Recreation Services installed new instruments in Charles D. Owen Park -- including lily pad cymbals, a tenor tree, tuned drums and flower gongs -- park attendance increased nearly 20 percent in one year. The instruments, created by the Freenotes Harmony Park company, don't include sharps or flats and are designed to be played using arm and hand muscles rather than fingers. That way, people of all musical abilities can play them without training. More than 400 people also participated in three workshops focused on designing artistic tiles for the new space with themes of compassion, peace and diversity. The creation of the Real Possibilities musical garden sparked new projects, including the park's first TRACK Trail (self-guided, family-friendly outdoor adventures with prizes), enhanced sports courts and bird nest boxes that allow researchers to study tree swallows.
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