Walking through an alleyway that connects Washington and Jackson streets is a bit more pleasing to the eye and more user friendly these days.
A pedestrian path off Washington Street downtown, called Friendship Alley, leads to a tunnel through the Jackson Street parking garage. The tunnel, an extension of Friendship Alley, connects Washington Street with Jackson Street.
Both Friendship Alley and the tunnel feature large, colorful artwork. The one inside the tunnel entryway, a mural called “Kaleidoscope View,” was chosen as a city bicentennial project in 2016.
The extension project carries the special visual touch of architect Louis Joyner, and the mural came out of a workshop led by R. Lloyd Brooks, Ivy Tech Columbus program chair of visual communications.
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Ivy Tech’s significant, creative role in the project, which included the work of art and design student Cristina Tuttle, is another example of how the visual communications program has benefited the community.
Other projects the visual communications program has been involved in were:
- Holiday banners downtown
- Design components for ColumBIKE, the city’s bike-sharing program
- Helping design a book about fair culture with photos from the 2016 Bartholomew County 4-H Fair
- Creating art images on 13 large posters to cover the windows of a shuttered restaurant at The Commons
The extension project added the mural, bicycle racks and LED lighting. It’s bright, well-lit and aesthetically interesting. New LED lights make the entryway brighter and safer, and they highlight the mural well.
The city replaced 12 existing cameras and added 24 more cameras in the parking garage inside and outside, including two cameras in pedestrian tunnel and a third just outside it.
Ten silver bike racks have been installed in the tunnel. A louvred steel fence was painted red and drainage was added to help mitigate water in the area.
The project has come together beautifully, and makes a small part of the downtown area more pleasing and welcoming — something that fits well with the city’s vision.
