Public art installation to add vibrancy, joy to Aspinwall

A public mural in Aspinwall will tout the best of the borough and is expected to spur similar art projects to boost pride and aesthetics.

Spearheaded by the advocacy group, Aspinwall Neighbors, the mural is being painted on the Field Avenue playground pavilion through a series of weekly workshops that are all hands on-deck.

“The design for the mural is inspired by community input answering the question ‘What do you love about Aspinwall?” said Neighbors’ Vice President Andy Collins.

“It will be a vibrant, modern design that will introduce more public art to the borough.”

A public call is open to residents age 16 and older, every Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon through November.

Sessions are open to people of all abilities but are limited to 20 participants a week.

Sign-ups are available at aspinwallneighbors.org/art/.

Led by artist Alison Zapata, the project was designed to be responsive to the community’s input.

“From the answers we got, we narrowed down repeating ideas to create a visual composition to represent them in an aesthetically pleasing way,” Zapata said.

Since the mural is for all skill levels, it was designed to be easy to paint as a team, she said.

The goal is to uplift the community with vibrancy and joy, and get to know each other in the process of painting, Zapata added.

“Public art adds a tremendous amount of value to the cultural, economic and aesthetic values of a community,” she said. “It is well-documented that public art contributes positively to a community’s sense of pride and identity, and enhances the quality of life for the residents.”

Collins said the format of the project – an art camp – gets a variety of people involved.

Neighbors’ President Sarah Shaffer said the mural has been in the making at least two years. The group began researching potential sites and funding, initially considering private properties in the business districts and Alley A.

Finally, the group chose the park pavilion, with Shaffer saying that, notably, a comprehensive plan drafted for the recreation area suggested a mural in the exact spot.

The Arts in Education Partnership of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency, contributed $2,684. The Arts in Education Partner serving Allegheny County is Pittsburgh Center for Arts & Media.

Aspinwall Neighbors also received $2,000 from The District Association, a group which funds local beautification projects.

Sherwin Williams along Freeport Road donated primer and other materials.

Aspinwall Neighbors is funding the remaining cost of approximately $3,000, the final cost to be determined by materials.

Shaffer’s group will cover the remaining costs with proceeds from the “Big Night Out” event it hosted in August.

“While it took us a while to get our first mural project started, we hope to see more public art in Aspinwall and believe there is an opportunity to use public art to connect our vibrant business districts and beautiful recreational areas through inspired art and shared experiences,” Shaffer said. “We also hope to work with the Aspinwall Chamber of Commerce and continue to partner with the borough on future efforts.”