New Haven Adds 5 Murals As Part Of Downtown Revitalization

Although COVID has quieted many streets, the facades of buildings in Ninth Square of New Haven have become a bit louder thanks to the artistic contributions of five artists through the city's Straight Up Art initiative. 

Since the beginning of August, the group has commissioned five larger-than-life murals to grace the walls of the neighborhood, further contributing to its transition to a hub for artists and creatives. Three new murals painted in November brought the total count of pandemic street pieces to five.

Del Carpio-Beltran's mural, which was formally unveiled on Wednesday, Nov. 18, speaks to this transformation. His Center Street creation, placing stretching buildings and performing musicians amongst blooming flowers, is his tribute and addition. 

Nearby on Court Street, artist Michael DeAngelo depicted area bus driver Dave Higgins, colored in oranges and reds and gazing out at passers-by, alongside a blue-tinted rendition of New Haven surgery resident Michelle Salazar, whose hand meets Higgins' shoulder at the corner of two building walls. 

On the side of the Ninth Square market, tattoo artist Alex Fournier told the New Haven Independent that he moved "from skin to wall" with his piece "The World We Left Behind." It depicts skyscrapers, pictured in a number of architectural styles and rendered in colors reminiscent of Dr. Seuss' illustrations. 

These three murals join a mural depicting Jazz Musician Sun Ra on the side of the Cafe Nine, painted by Michael Pollack in September and August, and another dedicated to black entrepreneur William "King" Lanson and depicting the silhouette of an eagle with human figures riding on its back, painted by artist David la Mano. 

According to Elizabeth Bickley, the manager of public space planning at the Town Green Special Services District, funding has already been secured for more murals in 2021.

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