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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.
Lakewood, CO
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Public art installations
Description: The City of Lakewood turned to public art to reduce social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as encourage residents to walk and bike. The City asked artists and entertainers to plan outdoor activities for children and residents of a senior living compound. Artists created an interactive fence art installation, as well as murals on the pavement along the ArtLine, a walking and biking route in Lakewood's arts district. Additionally, performers meandered along the Artline and interacted with community members during the Project Joy Bomb, a four-hour immersive art experience. More than 400 people lined the streets to engage and hundreds of others watched from vehicles or balconies and porches. The City also installed a Little Free Library along the route, which remains today, along with many of the art installations. In recent years, the ArtLine has continued to add works of art, including new murals.
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.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Lancaster, PA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Public safety interventions
Description: Older adults in southeast Lancaster faced unsafe, littered sidewalks and poor lighting on their walk to the Marin Senior Center, limiting access to meals and social activities. To improve safety and comfort, SACA trimmed and planted trees, installed benches and added 25 porch-mounted trash receptacles to reduce litter. Large planters now block illegal parking, and nine security cameras enhance visibility. They now enjoy cleaner, greener streets and artistic seating like a Monarch butterfly bench, creating a welcoming route that fosters social interaction and sets a model for future neighborhood revitalization.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Quarryville, PA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Public art installations
Description: The Borough of Quarryville set out to beautify a blank wall at a public park. To prepare the wall, Borough staff power washed it and scrubbed it down. A local business donated painting supplies. Then a local artist -- helped by volunteers from the community -- painted the mural, which depicts children interacting with nature. The mural's artist intended the artwork to act as a visual scavenger hunt, with a variety of animals, insects, birds and reptiles hidden in its imagery. The mural's success sparked other works of public art throughout town, including installations along the local rail trail.
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