The City of Albuquerque has unveiled the latest addition to its collection in the Public Art Program, a mural supporting the movement to prevent traffic-related fatalities and injuries.
Mayor Tim Keller (D-Albuquerque) was joined by members of the city’s Department of Arts & Culture and Arts Board and the mural's artist, Andrew Fearnside, to dedicate the artwork on June 17.
"Our city's public art not only beautifies and enriches, it can be a catalyst for change, and this is certainly a mural with a message," Keller said in a press release.
Fearnside's mural is located on the eastern wall of Expo New Mexico along Louisiana Blvd. "It creates important awareness for the Vision Zero initiative, which has the goal of reducing traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries," Keller said in the release. "It's also a tribute to the people of the International District and their collaborative process of community engagement."
The goal of Vision Zero is to prevent traffic-related deaths and serious injuries and promote safe, healthy, and equitable mobility and transportation options, the release said.
Teenagers ages 15-19 from the International District, with help from Artful Life, created a community outreach plan to assist with the mural's design. The team then worked with Fearnside to incorporate the stories and perspectives of residents who live near the mural, the release said. Finnegan Parker, one of the youth team participants, said, "I'm hoping that this will kick start some more projects in the future that'll bring us together to do even more murals."
The mural, which is made up of patterns in vibrant colors, including purple, yellow, turquoise, and salmon, includes black and white cartoons of humans in various openings in the backgrounds using different forms of personal transportation on the street.
