***This project has been postponed to June 2 on account of rain! Please follow the event Facebook page for updates!***
On Saturday June 2, 2012, updayton, will be holding an event at the Burns-Jackson Park to paint the pedestrian bridge spanning highway US 35. The event invites everyone from the Dayton area community to assist in painting a colorful mural onto the 2,800 sq. ft bridge deck.
Titled “Unifying the Divide,” this team strives to bring positive attention to a bridge that was built to unify the South Park and Oregon District neighborhoods when they were divided by US 35.
On July 16, 2011, the Creative Communities committee held its first event to clean-up the bridge. Approximately 20 volunteers attended to cut bushes, and remove trash and debris off and around the bridge. After further brainstorming, street painting projects in other cities got the groups’ attention, and thus, the idea for the “Unifying the Divide” project was born. In February, the committee placed a call for mural designs to grace the floor of the bridge, and received a dozen submissions from local artists. After a public online poll, ‘Dayton Wags’ provided the winning design which features a stained glass and floral motif to represent the history and aesthetics of both the South Park and the Oregon District.
The committee used the fundraising website Kickstarter.com to help collect funds for paint supplies and over $1,500 was raised in less than 30 days. The Creative Communities Team also received help from various community partners including Citywide Development, South Park Historic Inc., Oregon Historic District Society, Emerson Academy, and DJ What Not. An aerial photo of the completed paint project will be provided by Perfect Perspectives Aerial and posted on the updayton website once the project is completed.
“It’s been an amazing year of effort on this project,” Laura beamed with pride. “I am so proud of our team and can’t wait to celebrate the successful completion of this project.”
With a design selected and funds raised, only one component remains to implement the Unifying the Divide project: the community. The Creative Communities Team needs the people of Dayton to volunteer on May 5th to paint the mural. The first shift begins at 8am with other sift times throughout the day. Groups or individuals can sign up for a job based on their skill level. The event is expected to end by 8pm.
For more information on how to register to volunteer for the Unifying the Divide project, email [email protected]. Get involved and paint the town!
