Wilmington, DE

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023

Project Category: Public art installations

Description: The project will employ and train 10 residents to conserve and maintain 30 works of public art, most of which are currently in disrepair. In the process, the program will promote interest in the arts in the local community.

Houston, TX

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017

Project Category: Public art installations

Description: To increase walkability and create a safe, beautiful gathering space, Avenue CDC engaged a local artist, local schoolchildren and residents to create a 600-foot mural. The wall selected for the artwork was off-putting and had been vandalized many times. But the site also acted as the entry point to the Northline neighborhood, since the wall faces the nearby light rail station. The mural's design pays homage to local Latino culture and the history of the neighborhood. As the mural reached its completion, Hurricane Harvey hit Houston and project organizers were able to repurpose leftover grant funds to help with recovery and rebuilding.

Houston, TX

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Public art installations

Description: Organizers with the North Houston Management District noticed many of Houston's murals found in the city's more affluent neighborhoods. To bring quality public art to the Aldine neighborhood and draw visitors to the local library, the District painted an augmented reality mural. The artwork depicts the word knowledge on a colorful backdrop. Passersby can use a smartphone app to scan the mural, allowing them to experience additional multimedia content. The mural is the first augmented reality project of its kind in Houston. Project organizers say the creative placemaking effort is meant to build neighborhood pride and a positive local identity to lower-income, predominantly Black and Latino North Houston.