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Birmingham Receives Bloomberg Philanthropies Asphalt Art Initiative Grant

Birmingham, AL – Bloomberg Philanthropies will award the City of Birmingham a grant up to $25,000 as part of their Asphalt Art Initiative. The Asphalt Art Initiative is designed to fund visual art on roadways, pedestrian spaces, and public infrastructure in U.S. cities with the goal of improving street and pedestrian safety, revitalizing and activating underutilized public space, and promoting collaboration and civic engagement in local communities. The City of Birmingham’s proposal seeks to activate the intersection of 8th Ave W and Center Street, anchored by Smithfield Court and the Smithfield Branch Library.

Create Birmingham will serve as lead art partner on the project, collaborating with the city to identify qualified artists, designers, and teams to implement the visual art. A resident-led review panel will make the final artist selection. The Birmingham Public Library and branch staff at the Smithfield Library will also be part of the project team.

“This project represents an opportunity to further expand our toolkit of public realm strategies in Birmingham, centered at a critical juncture of mobility, social infrastructure, and history in the Smithfield neighborhood,” says Christina Argo, Division Manager for Strategic Projects and Innovation in the Department of Transportation.

The project kicks off with technical assistance from Bloomberg Philanthropies in fall 2021, and artist selection will occur in early 2022. More information about the Bloomberg Philanthropies Asphalt Art Initiative can be found here.

About Bloomberg Philanthropies

Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 810 cities and 170 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on five key areas for creating lasting change: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s giving, including his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a pro bono consultancy that works in cities around the world. In 2020, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $1.6 billion. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter.

About Create Birmingham

Create Birmingham is the only agency in the region exclusively dedicated to the economic development of Birmingham’s creative industries, including performing arts, visual arts and crafts, culture and heritage, media and film, design, and culinary arts. Create Birmingham invests in imagination and invention by supporting workforce development, entrepreneurial ventures, and job growth in the nonprofit and commercial creative sectors. To learn more about Create Birmingham, visit www.createbirmingham.org.