Beginning in 2023, Franklin Square Elementary/Middle School and Steuart Hill Academic Academy partnered with Graham Projects to create a community-inspired traffic calming art project designed to improve pedestrian safety and create a more welcoming entrance to the shared school campus. Graham Projects artists met with students during art classes during which they drew ideas for pavement art to fill in four traffic calming curb extensions planned for the intersection of Lexington and Stricker Streets. Based on themes represented in the students’ drawings Graham Projects created three design options that the school shared with students and the surrounding residents. More than 200 community members helped select the final design.
Heraldic Bands takes inspiration from the Franklin Square Elementary School’s Knights mascot, and the yellow and blue colors it shares with Steuart Hill Academic Academy; as well as several students’ drawings featuring outlines of color. Medieval knights would carry their heraldic colors in court and beyond. Here, interlocking bands of color, including blue, teal, yellow, and purple, fill in the traffic calming bump outs then extend onto the adjacent sidewalks where the English and Spanish words for “welcome”, “caring”, “smart”, and “family”, radiate from the intersection in banner-like stripes
After major roadway improvements along Lexington Street, the intersection was finally ready for artwork installation starting early June 2026. On June 11, 2026 students helped complete the public art project by joining the Graham Projects team to paint the sidewalk art on the “Welcome” Corner leading to their school.
Project partners: Baltimore City Public School System, Franklin Square Elementary / Middle School, Fund For Excellence, Franklin Square Community Association
Lead Artist: Graham Coreil-Allen
Installation Team: Graham Coreil-Allen, Melvin Jadulang, Mar Braxton, Liam Arbeiter, Rachel DeTone, Kirsten Pamfilis, Jonathan Zoccoli
