Sprout Shows off Mural Designs

Twenty designs for a quartet of Sprout Fund supported murals will be on display Thursday night to allow community members to make their final choice. Every year the Sprout Fund selects walls throughout the region to be graced with public art. This year 12 communities applied and four were chosen. East Liberty will see a new approximately 2,500 square foot mural installed at 5877 Commerce Street, Trafford will see a similar sized mural at 425 Cavitt Avenue. Fund Public Art Manager Curt Gettman says the Trafford mural will be visible as drivers cross the bridge into town. Smaller murals of approximately 600 square feet will be painted in Oakdale on 5023 Noblestown Road and in the city at 2106 Forbes Avenue. Curt Gettman says every year 40-60 artists apply to do the work. The fund narrowed the field this year to 20 artists. Six were asked to submit a design for the East Liberty mural, another six for the Uptown murals, four artists were asked to submit designs for Trafford and another four for Oakdale. All 20 of the designs will be on display Thursday night from 6:00 to 8:00 at Concept Art Gallery at 1031 South Braddock Avenue. Gettman says the event is open to the public and comments are welcome. Each of the artists were given information about the communities in which the murals will be located so they are “not flying blind” with their design. Work on the murals will begin in July. The Sprout Fund has been financing murals in the county since 2003 and has erected a total of 51 works. Two other murals will be erected this year. Works in the Strip District and Wilkinsburg were commissioned last year but were not completed due to poor weather. Gettman says each mural costs between $2,000 and $15,000 depending on the size. Part of the money goes directly to the artist.