Creative Crosswalks project adds flair to Jeffersonville's streets

The pieces are the results of Creative Crosswalks, a design competition held to spruce up four aging intersections on Spring Street by repainting their crosswalks.

“This is all about beautification,” said Dawn Spyker, a member of the Jeffersonville Public Arts Commission and one of the organizers of the competition. “It adds character and whimsy. It’s something unexpected in people’s paths.”

On Sunday morning, the city blocked off four blocks of Spring Street to allow the artists to paint. The barricades disrupted commutes for a handful of drivers on their way home or to church, but Spyker hopes any annoyances will wan once residents see the completed artwork.

“Despite the inconvenience, we hope it’s a happy addition to our city,” she said. “It’ll look better than it did before.”

Creative Crosswalks is the most recent project to emerge from City Canvas, a new initiative of community, civic and private organizations collaborating on the development of public art.

Miranda Becht, a Jeffersonville native whose design was chosen for the intersection of Spring Street and Riverside Drive, says she is proud of the city for emphasizing art. She said she thinks it’ll go a long way, especially with the Big Four Bridge bringing more foot traffic to the area.

Of course, all her excitement didn’t make the actual process of painting her crosswalk any easier.

“It’s going slower than we expected,” Becht admitted between dabs of her sponge in paint, “but that’s what being an artist is about. I think it’s about problem solving. At least we got lucky with the (good) weather.”

A Master of Fine Arts candidate at the University of Louisville, Becht primarily works with sculptures, but she felt inspired to create a two-dimensional design that captured the spirit of RiverStage concerts and the Ohio River. Her piece, which she calls “Tuneful Fish,” features water dwellers and lines that will remind walkers of both music sheets and slow waves.

One intersection over, at Spring and Market streets, Clarissa Christian’s winning design features a chicken crossing the road.

“I just wanted to do something fun and whimsical,” she explains. “I’ve never done anything like this (competition). I wanted to get outside of my comfort zone. I love to create stuff, to doodle and draw.”

Approximately 40 entries were received for the competition. According to Spyker, the judges were so impressed by the lot of entries that they are hoping to use some for additional intersection improvements.

“We hope this is something people will get excited about and be proud of,” she said

One point of pride for Jeff has always been Schimpff's Confectionery, and it gets a personal boost from one of the crosswalks. Phillip Collins, a graphic designer who happens to be engaged to fellow winner Becht, decided to honor the masters of sweets by designing a crosswalk for the Spring and Maple streets intersection that showcases a variety of classic candies.

The final winning design, at Spring and Chestnut streets, features the most ambitious design concept. Inspired by the artist M.C. Escher, Ron Davey uses repeating patterns of animal-esque shapes that create a figure walking in the negative space between them. Just one crosswalk in the intersection required five gallons of black paint.

That’s a lot of paint to roll out, but Davey thinks it’ll be worth it.

“I think it’s a win-win for the artists and the city,” he said of the entire project.