Problem:
A tall solid brick wall, on the east side of this residential senior center in the heart of downtown Auburn was the perfect location for the Community Mosaic Project to stir their magic. Right on Dill Street-Loop Road, the traffic on this turn is tremendous, which often backs up behind the light on Genesee Street. Design options were endless, yet we had to satisfy the tastes of the Boyle residents, staff and Board, since they contributed half of the project costs.
Solution:
We worked with the residents to gather composition ideas. The majority responded they would like to see a representation of historic downtown, with a retail focus. Staff at RSVP had a 1960s black & white photo from the collection of Ormie King that showed what stood on the property before Boyle Center was built. It was the original Big Store, before it moved down Genesee Street, a small restaurant and the Elk’s Club. This was the inspiration for Blake Chamberlain’s design, and we worked with ceramic artist Cheri Haring to create the Big Store letters. Thanks to the Stardust Foundation of CNY and the aid of a hundred volunteers, the broken donated pieces of tile and mirror came together to create a beautiful whole.
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