A ribbon is cut Friday at the unveiling of the tile murals, a project of PHS students.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Burbank Place is now adorned with almost 300 handprinted tiles.
On Friday, "Shapes of Togetherness" was unveiled on the side of 75 North St. Artist in residence Huck Elling guided Pittsfield High School students through creating the mural as part of the Pittsfield Let It Shine! Public Art Partnership.
"This project has meant so much to us," Elling said.
"We were inspired to put the title here in this location that had experienced a lot of graffiti. We chose this location because we were looking for a place that the PHS students spend a lot of time. The movie theater, this walking zone, we wanted to make it better."
The four-part mural features white tiles with colorful, varied shapes painted on them. It aims to brighten the dimly lit space frequented by younger community members because of its proximity to the Beacon Cinema.
"I thought it was very inspiring because if you can come together to make art, you can come together to see art," senior Kenny Davis said.
Senior Dennis Hermanski said the project was something fun to do that brings light to the city, "which needs a lot," and hopes that it lights the way for other students to participate in art.
"It was kind of like learning something new, how to paint properly without your hand cramping and trying to do straight lines, which I'll never be able to do," they said.
"But it was still fun to learn how the things work."
The work was inspired by artist Pallavi Sen of Williams College and local artists Jim Horsford and Daniel Bellow assisted in kiln firing the tiles. Justin Nackoul installed the 299 tiles.
Davis explained that it included so many smaller elements that came together to make something big and "It’s almost more impactful, because, as the name 'Shapes of Togetherness,' it brings so many pieces together."
"It is very influential to be able to go out and see the world and to understand that art is going to be everywhere," she added. "And to make it, to see it, anything, you don't have to be artistic as long as you are coming together with people."
Downtown Pittsfield Inc.'s Managing Director Rebecca Brien said the organization is honored to be part of the effort.
"Our mission is rooted in making art accessible for all, building a confidence in Pittsfield, and creating a stronger tie between the residents, regardless of age, and their downtown," she said.
"Since the inception in 2023, Let It Shine! has actually brought five new murals to downtown Pittsfield and three new murals to the west side. These murals have been created by a diverse group of professional artists and reflect and celebrate the Pittsfield community."
The mentorship programs work within the Pittsfield Public Schools and independently within the community to educate young artists and engage in projects that enhance a sense of place and belonging.
For the PHS project that began in the spring, local artists visited the school twice a week. They also mentored students on the process of public art, which included designing, grant writing, and getting permission from property owners.
The Let It Shine! Public Art Partnership is a group of Pittsfield-based community members from Downtown Pittsfield, Inc./Downtown Pittsfield Cultural Association (fiscal agent), City of Pittsfield Office of Cultural Development, Pittsfield Artists in Residence: Huck Elling and Jesse Tobin McCauley, and Mill Town Foundation who have formed to organize public art and revitalization on North Street, empowered by organizing efforts through MassDevelopment’s TDI. MassDevelopment’s Transformative Development Initiative (TDI) is a program for Gateway Cities designed to accelerate economic growth within focused districts.
The 2024 major sponsors are: Mill Town Foundation, Lee Bank, a grant awarded by Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation's Arts Build Community initiative with funding from the Barr Foundation, Feigenbaum Foundation, TDI Local funding from MassDevelopment’s Transformative Development Initiative, Pittsfield Cultural Council, NBT Bank, and General Dynamics.
A special thank you was extended to NBT Bank for their support of this project and to Rich Altman and Adam Hersch of Cavalier Central Block LLC for granting permission to install the "Shapes of Togetherness" mural on their building.
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