Many people are asking about this “brown stuff” on the light poles on 32nd St.

New Public Artwork is Coming to North 32nd Street

We Call This Home, a public art project by Arizona artist Ann Morton, is being installed along North 32nd Street over the next few weeks. Fabricated from aluminum and self-sealing Corten steel, the artwork will be mounted on 30 light poles along the east side of the street, between Shea Boulevard and Bell Road. The nstallation is expected to be finished by mid-February.

“Public art is an investment in the creative life of our city, bringing artists and the community together to beautify our neighborhoods and add to the many reasons why Phoenix is a great place to live,” said city of Phoenix District 3 Councilwoman Debra Stark. “We Call This Home is a great example of how art can be both a way to build community, by letting residents take part directly in making art, and a means to help a neighborhood express its distinctive character. As the North 32 Street corridor has grown and developed over the last several years, business owners and community advocates have worked to make 32nd Street a go-to destination for shopping, dining and fun. This art builds on that energy and excitement, and it’s a wonderful addition to the neighborhood!”

To create the artwork, the artist collected more than 1,300 handprints from community residents. She worked with SmithCraft, a local sign and metal fabricator, to turn the handprints into metal silhouettes, which will be arranged in clusters and attached to the poles. Community members involved included students at Shea Middle School, Paradise Valley Community College, and families and seniors at the Shadow Mountain Senior Center.

“With the beginning of public art being woven into the fabric of our neighborhood, we are thrilled to see the continued evolution of our vibrant North 32nd neighborhood,” said Allison J Barnett, Managing Partner of North 32nd, Inc. “Ms. Morton beautifully crafted the design of this public art into something that is meaningful to the neighborhood for generations to come. Each hand represents an individual in our community, past and present. The hands were drawn at various community events demonstrating the engagement of our community in a collaborative setting. We look forward to the opportunity to collaborate with future artists!”

This project evolved from the North 32nd Street Corridor Community Visioning effort. It was commissioned by the Phoenix Office of Arts + Culture Public Art Program with percent-for-art funds from the Street Transportation Capital Improvement Program.

Photographs are available upon request.
About Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture
The Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture, established by the Phoenix City Council in 1985, works to foster a sense of cultural identity, celebrate diversity and ensure an outstanding quality of community life.
For more information on the Office of Arts and Culture, visit phoenix.gov/arts or call 602-262-4637.  Follow the Office on Facebook: www.facebook.com/phxofficeofartsandculture and Twitter @phxarts_culture.
About North 32nd, Inc.
North 32nd, Inc. brings together the North 32nd community to live, collaborate and experience this vibrant neighborhood in Phoenix and stimulate the local economy thru strategic partnerships with both the City of Phoenix as well as local businesses.  North 32nd, Inc. is a proud member of Local First AZ.   For more information, please visit http://north32nd.com/.
Heil, Matthew. “New Public Artwork is Coming to North 32nd Street” Phoenix.gov, 31 Jan, 2018. https://www.phoenix.gov/news/arts/1945