Mayor Sarno states, “Chief Development Officer Tim Sheehan and I are excited that both of these organizations have submitted proposals to this program. They have produced some incredible public art in Springfield in recent years. Art is so important to the vitality and vibrancy of our city that spins off with the patronizing of our local businesses - we can’t wait to see the creative results.”
CWMC was awarded $80,000 to undertake this month’s Fresh Paint mural festival as well as a Spring 2023 event that is proposed to incorporate light projections. City Mosaic has been awarded $20,000 to undertake a significant mural project on Mattoon Street facing the city’s downtown. All installations will require proper public and private approvals and be complete by June 2023.
“These are both projects that will substantially add to the visual streetscape of the city and add to what is becoming a pretty impressive collection of public art in Springfield,” said CDO Sheehan.
CWMC will install a total of 18 murals throughout Springfield using paint and light projections starting this September. Community members will be able to participate in the painting during free painting parties. Along with the murals, CWMC will conduct a program for educating local artists about community mural painting.
City Mosaic is proposing to install one mural above the developing Suess Café at 85-97 Chestnut Street, coordinating with the Springfield Museums. The mural will incorporate Seuss imagery and historical characters and inventions from Springfield.
The $100,000 in funding is being provided through City of Springfield Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD). The program is being administered by the city’s Office of Planning & Economic Development (OPED) in collaboration with the Office of Community Development.