Pleasantville has always been known as a walking village. Whether catching a train, seeing a movie or grabbing a bite, residents enjoy the walkability of their hometown. Now that distinction is being celebrated in a larger-than-life way – through the new Walking Mural. The idea to create a mural in town originally came from artist Stuart Vance and Marlene Canapi, Chair of the Pleasantville Public Arts Committee (PPAC). The Walking Mural has been brought to life through the work of artists and a multitude of volunteers so the entire community can enjoy it in the way it’s meant to be – on foot.
Located on Jackson Alley in back of the Jacob Burns Film Center (JBFC), the idea for the project was sparked a few years ago. As Vance states, “Marlene and I had the idea of creating public art in Pleasantville. Jackson Alley cuts through the center of town and is a busy pedestrian thoroughfare and we wanted to celebrate Pleasantville as a walking area. The concept of the mural is very site-specific, it’s in a pedestrian-only area and it’s about walking.”
ArtsWestchester issued a request for proposals and 26 were submitted. As Pleasantville Mayor Peter Scherer states, “We sought community input on the finalists and were pleased that the winning submission was from Stuart Vance and Greg Nemec, a Pleasantville team. And our Assembly member, MaryJane Shimsky, provided a grant for Pleasantville, administered by ArtsWestchester.”
The mural itself depicts a variety of figures on an almost heroic scale – the largest figure being 13 feet tall. As people walk by, it’s as if they’re walking with the figures, making for an intimate experience. “The mural can only be seen by walking through the alleyway, we didn’t want it to be viewed from a distance or while driving,” says Vance.
Chad Kraus, a photographer and Pleasantville resident of over 25 years photographed the subjects for the mural at the JBFC’s Media Arts Lab. “I captured photos of their movements walking along a wall. The goal was to get as much of a diverse representation of the community as possible. As a Pleasantville resident, it’s special for me to be a part of this.”
The Walking Mural is the first (hopefully of many) public art pieces in Pleasantville, and the organizers want it to have a big impact on the community. Each of the 11 figures depicted on the mural has its own color palette and space with prismatic shapes behind them. They are abstract but when seen from afar, pull together and become almost photo realistic. “The meaning of the prisms celebrates all the different kinds of realities we both share and also live individually. It’s symbolic of the diversity of our community, living together harmoniously,” says Vance.
Greg Nemec co-created the Walking Mural with Stuart. “We came up with the concept, did the photoshoot and I digitally re-drew the images so that people could paint them on the wall. We transferred the images onto the wall using VR headsets,” remarks Nemec. He also brought in David McShane from Mural Arts Philadelphia to act as an advisor on the project. Nemec sees a bright future for Pleasantville as an arts destination. “People walk by as we’re painting and they’re already positive about it. The goal is to activate the space as an art space and have Pleasantville become known as a place of murals.”
The mural was presented at a ribbon-cutting ceremony last month. And completing it has been thanks in part to a myriad of volunteers. “We’re working with a young artist from Pleasantville, Devon DelCastillo, a recent graduate from the School of Visual Arts. She’s helping, painting and making sure things go smoothly,” says Vance. There was also a community-wide mural painting day held in September. Almost 100 people showed up to paint, which really helped progress the project.
Ultimately, the mural is about making others feel something. Vance believes Pleasantville can positively benefit from the Walking Mural. “Mostly it will make people happy when they see it. As a work of art, it fulfills its duty in that it surprises and delights and could engender a feeling of community – that’s my hope. For people to say yes this is us, this is who we are, this is Pleasantville.”
