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The large chalkboard, located in White Plains' Renaissance Park, poses the question to the audience with lines for them to answer. Several cups of colorful sidewalk chalk are provided for the very purpose.
Since the board’s installation on July 1, hundreds of people have passed by and left their wishes. The board has been routinely cleared to allow more people to write their messages, ranging from career aspirations, to profound spiritual messages, to romantic longing.
Rockland native Alaina Nuvola paused in front of the board on her way back from the gym.
“I think it’s really cool,” she said, “but I need a second to absorb it all. I don’t know what to write.”
After a few moments of contemplation, she picked up a piece of pink chalk and wrote “I want to see my friends one last time,” on the board.
Like many others, she quickly moved on with the rest of her day after leaving her message.
Some people walk right past the exhibit and barely notice it. Others, like Bronx native Dana Grigs, simply stop for a moment to read the project’s mission, which hangs from the left side of the board.
“I passed by from far away, but I wanted to come up close and see it,” she said. “I think it’s very interesting and powerful.”
The exhibit is part of a larger, worldwide project started by artist Candy Chang after the death of a loved one. The first wall was mounted in New Orleans. Today, there are more than 100 walls in over 30 countries around the world according to the project’s website.
For more information about the project, go to www.beforeidie.cc
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