Grand Rapids is a city characterized by two things: beer and art. While the city is nicknamed after the numerous breweries scattered throughout Grand Rapids, the large art installations have done wonders in bringing a sense of character to the town. Murals, such as those in the city center and its surrounding areas, lend the city a vibrant and lively feel. Below are my personal favorites, one of which is an ArtPrize winner.
These murals are large-scale projects that require years of preparation and precise execution. But what does the process look like for a far smaller project in a high-traffic area? We can take a look at one crosswalk in Eastown that has been experimenting for the last three years to ensure its project doesn’t go anywhere anytime soon.
Eastown’s Pride Crosswalk
Sheldon Ave. E has the “Rainbow Road” street mural by Joey Salamon, which recently received a touch-up paint job. Murals like this have one downside that other murals don’t: traffic. The wear-and-tear on the road’s unfortunate side effect is that the colors can fade over time.
It’s a problem that a smaller installation with a similar message on Lake Dr. E and Genessee Street, the Eastown Pride Crosswalk, has been working to solve for nearly three years. Since 2022, volunteers have repainted the pride flags that adorn the crosswalks on Lake Drive East and Genesee Street on Pride Day…