A Vibrant City

Thanks to a community of artists and the quick thinking of city and business leaders, Manchester’s downtown has been transformed into a vibrant and colorful open-air gallery. Public art, on display from one end of the downtown to the other, has brought a splash of color and life to the city during COVID-19 times.

“I’ve always been a big fan of public art,” Intown Manchester Executive Director Sara Beaudry says. “I love traveling to cities that have it, and what’s so interesting is that it’s all in the eye of the beholder. Art impacts people differently.”

So when Beaudry was tagged in a Facebook post about a city that had created a public art project, she began reaching out to stakeholders. Mayor Joyce Craig, James Chase of the Institute of Art and Design at New England College and others worked with Beaudry to assess what was needed, and how logistical challenges would be met to embark on a similar effort.

At the same time, Covid-19 safety precautions were being relaxed, prompting downtown restaurant owners to work with the city to maximize space by utilizing sidewalk and parking spaces as dining areas. The solution: Jersey barriers were installed to designate new, socially distant, al fresco dining rooms. The problem: They were jersey barriers — gray, concrete modular partitions.

“This was the trickiest part,” Beaudry says. “The barriers didn’t look great. They were at construction sites, so our maintenance team went down and power washed them and cleared any debris off. We thought that getting some sort of life on them to make them more attractive was very important.”

Intown Manchester got to work, facilitating the beautification project, organizing artists and merchants and managing the effort.

“Time was of the essence,” Beaudry says. “Everyone put together ideas quickly. It wasn’t a juried selection. It was done just to make them look more attractive and to entice people to come down and try eating outside.”

Café la Reine Owner Alex Horton, top, spends time with friends outside of her Elm Street shop. The Jersey barriers, painted by local artists, brought a splash of color to the city, and provided needed space for downtown merchants. (Kendal J. Bush photo)

A variety of artists set about decorating the otherwise plain barriers, adding a new color and vibrancy to Elm Street. Keith Trahan worked on the barriers at Penuche’s Music Hall and Boards and Brews; Susan Larkin at bluAqua Restrobar; Jyl Dittbenner at Campo Enoteca/Republic; and Tamra Morris at Café la Reine and The Shaskeen.

“These were artists I’ve gotten to know over the years,” Beaudry says. “I reached out to them and they were very gracious, so we started work.”

Visitors heading for the heart of the city’s downtown are greeted by a fourstory mural on the side of the Lamonte, Hanley and Associates building at the corner of Bridge and Elm Streets — created by Trahan — that has taken on a life of its own.

“What I like about that piece is that it helped turn an empty lot into a park,” Beaudry says, adding that the art has even led to an unofficial name for the space. “Now people call it ‘Emerald Park.’ I love that because the piece is reminiscent of ‘The Wizard of Oz.’ That was not the intention, but now seeing it, when everything blossoms green and the trees are green and the grass is green; it really does remind you of the Emerald City. People have begun calling it that on their own.”

Resources

Intown Manchester intownmanchester.com

Penuche’s Music Hall facebook.com/penuchesmusichall

bluAqua Restrobar facebook.com/BluAquaRestrobar

Campo Enoteca campoenoteca.com

Republic republiccafe.com

Boards and Brews boardsandbrewsnh.com

The Shaskeen theshaskeenpub.com

Café la Reine cafelareine.com