The Views Festival, held from June 1-13, closed with eight successful events celebrating urban lifestyle and culture, the completion of 15 murals, and the start of an additional seven murals that are in progress, bringing the total number of murals completed this year to 22. The Festival was produced by a coalition of community partners and donors as part of the initiative to designate safe walking routes for children to and from school. The murals painted as part of the Views Festival result in a total of 35 murals contributing to the initiative.
The Views Festival was conceived and initiated by Patrick Fisher, former Executive Director of Erie Arts and Culture. Erie Arts and Culture thanks the following project leaders for their tireless work to produce the festival: Tauna Hunter, Thomas Ferraro, Jaqueline George, DaVona Pacley, Casey Corritore, Alex Staley, and Joey Evans; as well as the many community members and local artists who contributed their talents as artist assistants.
The murals serve many purposes. They mark the safe routes for children to walk to and from school; they created a learning environment for those who contributed to making them, increasing the skills, knowledge, and artistry of Erie’s established and emerging artists; and they serve as reminders that public space is a shared space of beauty and reflection. The Festival was an experience for all those who participated in painting to share their techniques and artistry, creating a culture of shared learning and exploration that went into each of these vibrant pieces of art.
For a full list of community partners for this project, please visit erieartsandculture.org and viewsfest.com. To contribute to Erie Arts and Culture’s programs that support the local and regional arts and culture communities, visit erieartsandculture.org/donate and designate if you would like your contribution to support a specific program or general operating funds. Erie Arts and Culture works in service and partnership with Northwestern Pennsylvania, and we look forward to you joining us in fulfilling our mission.
