Troy awarded $25K public art grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies
TROY, N.Y. » Troy Mayor Patrick Madden announced the City of Troy has been selected as one of 16 cities nationwide to receive a $25,000 grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Asphalt Art Initiative for implementation of The Uniting Line, a public art mural project planned for beneath the Collar City Bridge in collaboration with the Arts Center of the Capital Region, TAP Inc., and Collar Works.
The initiative funds public art projects that help improve street and pedestrian safety, revitalize underutilized public space, and engage local communities around public art.
“Public art serves as a catalyst for connecting neighborhoods and creating more active, vibrant public spaces,” Madden said.
“We’re excited to collaborate with Bloomberg Philanthropies and our project partners, including the Arts Center of the Capital Region, Collar Works, and TAP, along with City residents and families, on this unique opportunity for public art in our community,” Madden added.
The Uniting Line will transform a 500 foot stretch of road under the Hoosick Street Bridge – an urban void that acts as a massive divider between downtown Troy and North Central Troy – into a space that draws people together, uniting what a highway divided.
Through creative placemaking, the project will unify the area graphically, revitalize and beautify the area, encourage more pedestrian activity, and serve as a backdrop to activities that take place at the adjacent basketball courts and other open spaces.
The project leadership team includes: Barbara Nelson, Executive Director, TAP, Inc.; Deputy Mayor Monica Kurzejeski; Elizabeth Dubben, Executive Director, Collar Works; Elizabeth Re
iss, CEO of The Arts Center of the Capital Region; and Belinda Colón, Curator, The Arts Center of the Capital Region.
“The Uniting Line is an ambitious and collaborative effort and we are looking forward to seeing how our community shapes the outcome,” Elizabeth Reiss, CEO of The Arts Center of the Capital Region said.
“The Uniting Line proves that despite so much difficulty in our life today, the arts always find a way to help us dream,” Reiss added.
“TAP’s relationship with the Hoosick Street bridge goes back to 1969 when we led the fight to reduce its impact on the community,” Barbara Nelson, Executive Director of TAP, Inc. noted.
“We are proud to partner in the ongoing effort to repair that damage,” Nelson added.
“Collar Works has been fortunate to reside both two blocks north and south of the Hoosick Street Bridge for over a decade,” Elizabeth Dubben, Executive Director of Collar Works commented.
“We’ve dreamed for years of ways contemporary art could uplift this long overshadowed space. We are grateful for the opportunity and excited to work together with our community, the City of Troy, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and project partners to help unite the city around this vital public art project,” Dubben noted.
The Bloomberg Philanthropies Asphalt Art initiative recognizes Troy’s continued use of public art to bring together transformative change and shared community experiences. Troy was previously selected for a winning grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies for the 2016 collaborative public art project ‘Breathing Lights’ with Albany and Schenectady.
For more info, one can visit www. asphaltart. bloomberg.org/