News
July 9, 2020Amplified Voices Mural on S Pearl Street to Cover 12 Foot by 45 Foot Area
Amplified Voices, a group spearheaded by local artist Jade Warrick to heighten the voices of local artists of color, will begin work on a mural project at 106 S Pearl Street on Wednesday, July 15. When complete, the public mural will encompass 12 feet by 45 feet of space at a heavily-trafficked entrance to downtown Albany. Painting is scheduled to take place at the site from 1-4 p.m. on July 15-18; weather may impact the timeline and, if needed, an updated schedule will be provided.
Amplified Voices, a community collaborative public mural project, was born out of the peaceful protests, unrest, and riot in Albany and across the country. Numerous businesses and organizations sustained broken windows and vandalism resulting boarded-up windows creating trauma to communities. Amplified Voices provides artists of color the opportunity to beautify their community, mentor youth, focus on ways to use art as a healing device and encourage hope. Contributing mentor artists for the S Pearl Street mural include, but are not limited to, Jade Warrick, Danielle Colin, Eugene O’Neill, Chloe Harrison, Sion Hardy, and Vanessa Gray.
Several artists, not-for-profits, community groups, business organizations and businesses have come together to create and facilitate what we hope will be a long term project addressing boarded up buildings to change the narrative and encourage repair, rehabilitation and new visions. This project will also provide opportunities for youth on an ongoing basis.
The community collaborative partners include A Block at a Time, Inc., the Albany Barn, the Albany Center Gallery, the Central Avenue Business Improvement District, the Downtown Albany Business Improvement District, and Youth FX. Continued collaboration with other organizations is sought to expand the footprint of this healing project; those interested in partnership can contact Jade Warrick at amplifiedvoicesny@gmail.com or 832.928.2855.
Amplified Voices would like to thank the Albany Housing Authority for providing such a large and infinitely visible canvas at 106 S Pearl Street. Also thank you to all the businesses who have expressed interest in having a mural or in providing supplies. Any business interested in a mural or donating supplies can contact Tony Iadicicco at director@albanycentergallery.org or call 518.462.4775.
To find out more about this project, please visit the Amplified Voices Facebook page at www.facebook.com/amplified518
