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The first painted crosswalk created through the city’s Street Space program was unveiled Wednesday at the corner of Drouillard Road and Whelpton Street in Windsor’s Ford City district.
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The multi-hued painting done by local artist Julie Hall took two days to complete.
“The reaction has been positive,” said chair of the Ford City Business Improvement Association Shane Potvin.
“We’ve shared it on social media. Everyone appreciates the effort.”
Potvin said with the slowdowns and hurdles presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the project took about three years to go through the process of approval, design and completion. The project cost the Ford City BIA $4,000.
“The neighborhood is known for public art of all types,” Potvin said.
“We felt this was perfect to add another layer of depth.
“The area is getting a reputation as an artistic neighborhood with interesting restaurants, shops and some other pretty cool stuff that makes you want to hang around.”
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Hall’s concept, which is called Plant 1, was chosen as it pays homage to Ford City’s automotive legacy, but the art focuses on the multitude of plants now growing on the riverfront property the company has let grow over with natural foliage in recent years.
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Potvin said Hall also has experience in doing larger indoor and outdoor projects having done murals on the side of the Mushroom Hub, a recent project for Family Respite and some lettering for the Art Gallery of Windsor.
“Julie has a horticultural background, so she visited the riverfront site and incorporated the plants she saw on the property in the crosswalk,” Potvin said. “Calling it Plant 1 is a clever way to acknowledge the factory and what is now here.”
With the project now completed, Potvin hopes the crosswalk inspires other neighborhoods and communities to add more public art.
“We’d love to see others pick this up in the city,” Potvin said. “We’ll take a breather and enjoy this, but we’re always open to other options and ways of doing unique things.”
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