You always hear the phrase “stop and smell the roses,” but what about “halt to appreciate the art?”
Every day, we drive by buildings with murals without taking a second look. Now is as good a time as any, with so many museums closed, to schedule your own walking tour to learn about the art in Syracuse and the history behind it.
“It can transform the landscape into something totally different," said Ally Walker, an artist from Syracuse.
“Instead of gray walls everywhere, you can show the history," said Shannon Kirkpatrick, another city artist.
Walker, Kirkpatrick, and London Ladd’s work is displayed across the city. All you need to know is where to look.
“You take something that was once an eyesore, and now it’s eye-opening," Ladd said. “What I did is I put my heart and soul into this, day in and day out, and it never was a burden to me.”
Under the Taylor Street Bridge stands a pair of murals with a deep meaning. Martin Luther King is on one side; Frederick Douglass on the other. They include quotes from speeches given by both men.
“The King side was done first, and then I did the Douglass side. One of my favorites, I saw this man over there. He was trying to memorize the speeches,” Ladd said. “That really got to me. You never know what these words mean at a certain time in your life.
“This quote is everything that’s 2020. ‘In order to have union, we must have unity of idea, unity of purpose, and unity of interest.’ That’s today. How does that not ring true today?”
“One of my favorite quotes right there is ‘It is easier to build strong children than repair broken men,’ ” Ladd continued. “It really hit me like halfway through; I was like, ‘wow, that’s how people read poetry.’ They read it over and over, and they understand the deeper meaning.”
A few minutes down the road on Fayette Street, a colorful critter sits on the side of XO Taco.
“The inspiration here for the giraffe was, we wanted to create something where the ordinary goes wild," Walker said.
Ally is a Westhill grad who has been painting since she was 15. This mural took her two weeks to complete.
“It’s the best feeling in the world. It really is. When other people respond to it, it makes you feel really good. Makes you smile even more," Walker said.
A smiling giraffe is only one piece of the picturesque puzzle.
“We wanted to have fun with color, too … not just make white letters, so these are inspired by 1980s tube socks,” Walker said. “Whether you’re actively seeking out or trying to find places and different artscapes, or just on your daily commute, it can brighten up that drive.”
Kirkpatrick, an SU student from Cicero-North Syracuse, said the inspiration for “Sweetheart Corner” came to her one day when she was 16. That’s when her project on North Main Street began.
“I decided to go with a historical theme. Sweetheart Corner used to be an ice cream shop for when people came back from the war," Kirkpatrick said.
The history extends across the canvas.
“Route 11 Road used to be Plank Road, and right nearby used to be the trolley station, which is now the library," Kirkpatrick said.
There are dozens of these creations all over Onondaga County, all unique, and all with their own story to tell.