Lakewood, CO

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022

Project Category: Public art installations

Description: To make a popular pathway more visually appealing, volunteers painted pavement murals along the corridor from Eaton Senior Communities to the Belmar downtown district. To make high-traffic pedestrian trail more welcoming people of all ages and abilities, volunteers also installed an ADA-compliant benches at several locations, including near a low-income apartment complex.This gives people traveling the pathway a place to rest.

Kailua, HI

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Public art installations

Description: Hearing and recording the stories of elders is an important part of Hawaiian culture. Students and staff from the Kailua Intermediate School honored this heritage by painting a large mural facing Kailua District Park. The project launched with a Huaka'i (field experience), during which people of all ages visited historically significant sites in the community. Learning about local cultural practices and values, students heard mo'olelo (stories) from kupuna (elders) They then shared the stories with their peers, who joined in to design and paint the mural.

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.