Color Under the Tracks

Color Under the Tracks

1For years, the concrete underpass on Alder Street was a gray pause between two busy blocks. People hurried through without looking up. This spring, residents proposed a mural along its pedestrian walkway. Instead of choosing one artist’s design, they invited neighbors to submit drawings of places and objects that mattered to them.

2At the first planning session, ideas flooded the room. A retired tailor brought a drawing of silver scissors; a student sketched the neighborhood’s outdoor basketball hoop. Other drawings showed apartment windows, grocery bags, and the corner bus stop. Volunteer coordinator Imani Vale spread the sketches across three tables so everyone could study them.

3Turning those separate pictures into one design took patience. The first layout was a crowded suitcase, with every image squeezed against another. Some drawings overlapped so much that their outlines disappeared. The group removed repeated images and left open space around the remaining ones. A blue ribbon of painted water would link the separate scenes.

4Painting began the following Saturday. The rough wall drank the first coat of paint, leaving pale patches that needed another layer. Seventeen-year-old Dario Chen checked the supply list and fetched extra cans. Nearby, younger volunteers practiced making clean edges on scrap boards before touching the wall. Progress was slow, but the shapes gradually became clear.

5When volunteers disagreed about the background color, the discussion became a tug-of-war. One group wanted bright yellow; another preferred soft green. Rather than vote immediately, Imani asked both groups to paint small samples. Seeing the colors beside the blue water helped them agree on green. The samples gave them something concrete to compare.

6By Sunday evening, the finished mural stretched like a long welcome mat beside the walkway. Visitors stopped to identify familiar details and explain their own connections to them. One resident pointed out the tailor’s scissors to her grandson. The underpass had not grown any wider, yet people were making room there for conversations.