Patterson Park Neighborhood Association and Southeast CDC partnered with Graham Projects to engineer, design, and install traffic calming and pavement art to improve pedestrian safety at the intersection of Fayette Street and Luzerne Avenue in East Baltimore. Graham Projects collaborated with artist Nichol Buchholz of Sol Raya Public Space to lead a community-based design process that resulted in the Aquila Constellation street mural now wrapping the intersection.
Neighbors, business owners, and friends from surrounding blocks were invited to share their artwork ideas for this project through an in-person artists walk and talk, and through an online survey. Graham Coreil-Allen and Nichole Buchholz develop two concepts inspired by the community’s input, which were shared back with the neighborhood for voting.
The chosen design Aquila Constellation brings color and calm to the busy intersection. Translated from English to Latin, the eagle mascot of nearby Paca Elementary School becomes the namesake of classic star constellation, Aquila. The Aquila Constellation spreads its celestial wings across the intersection through bright yellow stars connected by turquoise lines, set amidst an indigo blue sky filling the bump outs. Orange outlines make mythological references to the sky drawing; including Zeus as a Swan, his famous thunderbolt, Ganymede’s cup, and Cupid’s arrow.
To celebrate the new addition to the neighborhood Patterson Park community members put the final touches on their new artwork at the community paint day. These artistic bumouts will help to slow down traffic, and make this busy intersection safer for both pedestrians and drivers.
This community project led by the Patterson Park Neighborhood Association is funded by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development via the Southeast Community Development Corporation.
Project partners: Patterson Park Neighborhood Association, Nichol Bucholtz / Sol Raya Public Space, Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, Southeast Community Development Corporation
Graham Projects production team: Graham Coreil-Allen, Nicole Buccholz, Melvin Jadulang, Zoe Roane-Hopkins, Liam Arbeiter, Mar Braxton, Maurice McCrimmon, Lydia Milano, and Kirsten Pamfilis.
