Asphalt Art Initiative Phase 5 Completed Outside Smithfield Library
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| The Asphalt Art Initiative is outside Smithfield Branch Library. |
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| Young people helped finish phase 5 of the Asphalt Art Initiative in January. |
On January 5 and 6, a few of Smithfield Library's visitors dashed to see what all the "movement" was about outside the library, #1 8th Avenue West. Lydia Walker, the artist chosen to complete the work, welcomed helping hands to finish phase 5 of the Asphalt Art Initiative.
The project began on August 23, 2022, as community leaders gathered to meet with Lydia as she unveiled her ideas for the grant funded project.
Lydia said of this phase of the art design, "I went with a book themed landscape that speaks to the idea that 'reading is dreaming with open eyes'. I wanted to create something that is still simple enough to be painted by all community members , and that would catch a young person's attention."
The first phase was completed on October 15, 2022.
Create Birmingham serves as the arts partner for the City of Birmingham on a new public art project in the Smithfield neighborhood that will enhance the intersection of 8th Avenue West and Center Street, working in collaboration with the Smithfield stakeholders and local visual artist Lydia Walker.
Last year, the City of Birmingham was one of 26 cities across the country selected to receive an Asphalt Art Initiative grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies. The Asphalt Art Initiative is designed to fund visual art on roadways, pedestrian spaces, and public infrastructure in U.S. cities with the goal of improving street and pedestrian safety, enhancing underutilized public space, and promoting collaboration and civic engagement in local communities.
The Asphalt Art Initiative in Smithfield
The intersection of 8th Ave West and Center Street is an anchor point of mobility, social infrastructure, and history in the Smithfield neighborhood. It serves as the main thoroughfare between the neighborhood and downtown, connecting residents to A.H. Parker High School, Smithfield Court public housing, and the Smithfield Branch Library.
To enhance this community gateway, local artist Lydia Walker was commissioned to activate the intersection with a large scale mural. Inspired by Smithfield’s vibrancy, resilience, and historical importance, she created a colorful mandala with the West African adinkra symbols for knowledge and beauty.
In October, more than 120 volunteers came together to install the intersection mural during a “paint party” organized by Create Birmingham in partnership with the City of Birmingham. Upcoming improvements include enhanced lighting and sidewalk art around the Library plaza, a gathering place located on the northwest corner of the intersection, as well as a bus shelter to increase rider comfort and safety.
Lydia Walker, the artist, described the project as follows: “Within many religions and spiritual practices, mandalas are created to establish sacred spaces and represent journeys. As Smithfield was sacred space for its black citizens dating back to the early 1900s, home to the city’s first library for black residents and first public high school for black students, this mural’s mandala represents the journey of Smithfield and the strides the black community took to establish safe spaces to grow, learn, and thrive.”
By Sequoria Lewis|Branch Manager, Smithfield Library
More photos from the Asphalt Art Initiative outside Smithfield Branch Library.
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