A Day in the Life | Crosswalks to Classrooms
KCCI was able to pull the community and students together to pilot Crosswalks to Classrooms at two crosswalks thanks to the support of The Foundation for Leon County Schools in collaboration with the City of Tallahassee, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Donor Advised Fund at the Community Foundation of North Florida, Cobb Middle School, and Kate Sullivan Middle School.
Crosswalks to Classrooms uses public art as a catalyst to enhance livability of neighborhoods and safe routes to schools. It provides diversity of experiences for the nearby school children via the participatory process.
HOW IT WORKED
5:30 a.m.
Streets were closed and pressure washed.
6 a.m.
Professional artist Jay Giroux and his team began prepping the site and painting. Base layers needed ample drying time before additional paint layers were added. PPG Paint with a special no-slip Rhinohide was used. Students at the nearby schools voted on the colors and icons for the final crosswalk design. In addition, they provided their own design ideas, which features were included in the final design.
9 a.m.
Local artists joined Jay for special training on asphalt art.
11 a.m.
Students and families from nearby Kate Sullivan Elementary and Cobb Middle School joined in to paint. Due to roadway safety parameters, students were pre-selected to participate to manage crowd control. However, additional students were able to join in as space permitted. Additional attendees participated in sidewalk chalk art, connecting the two crosswalks with art on the sidewalk between the two blocks.
Noon
City of Tallahassee Firefighters provided safety tips. Students continued to paint.
2 p.m.
Finishing touches were added to the crosswalks. A special clear top coat is added.
2:30 p.m.
The first students walked across the Hillcrest Street crosswalk.
3 p.m. – until 5 a.m. Sunday
The paint cures. The curing time is especially important because the longer the paint can cure and dry undisturbed, the longer it will last.
Over time the crosswalks will fade. As one child said in the WTXL interview: “We will always remember this moment in our hearts…”
Image Credit: City of Tallahassee
Image Credit: City of Tallahassee