A new temporary mural will soon be installed on the public stairwell connecting Battery Park and Wall Street. The project, set to start Monday evening, is being done through an agreement between the Asheville Downtown Association Foundation and the City of Asheville.
The Asheville Downtown Association Foundation is funding and managing the installation and maintenance of the mural, while the City of Asheville is using this as a test project for a program that would allow private investments in creative place-making projects on public property.
The mural is envisioned to not only bring new public art to downtown, but also to create a more visible connection between Wall Street and Battery Park Avenue, helping with wayfinding to encourage pedestrians to explore the many shops and businesses along these corridors. City of Asheville and Asheville Downtown Association staff have heard from Wall Street merchants over the years that their shops, and Wall Street generally, can sometimes feel hard to find.
The artwork itself is of Catawba Falls by local muralist Ian Wilkinson, selected through a competitive process managed by the Asheville Downtown Association. The piece represents the many waterfalls the Asheville area enjoys.
The mural is scheduled to be installed the week of June 17 during the evening hours (between 5 p.m. and 3 a.m.). Partial closures of the stairwell can be expected while the piece is being painted.