‘Walking Mural’ to Bring Pleasantville’s Spirit to Life This Summer
News Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
By Abby Luby
A man walks his dog. A violin student strides forward, trailed by a curious cat. A baseball player is mid-step, bat slung over his shoulder, and a woman pulls a red wagon with two children in tow.
These striking 8- to 12-foot images will soon bring life to a new public mural on the wall of the Jacob Burns Film Center, visible from Jackson Alley off Wheeler Avenue.
Titled The Walking Mural, the design was unveiled at Monday night’s Pleasantville Village Board meeting by artist and graphic designer Stuart Vance and Greg Nemec, chair of the Pleasantville High School Art Department and a longtime art teacher. The duo’s proposal was selected from a pool of 23 submissions after an open call for entries last year.
“We’ve had the idea of a mural for some time,” Vance explained. “Before the pandemic, Marlene (Canapi) and I talked about how public art generates excitement and interest in the village.”
Canapi, co-chair of the Pleasantville Public Art Committee (PPAC), helped spearhead the mural project. A $35,000 grant from Assemblywoman MaryJane Shimsky (D-Dobbs Ferry) made the project possible.
“Public art is such an important part of a rich and integrated culture,” said Shimsky, who attended the meeting to celebrate the project. “Murals are all over the world, and many installations are increasingly in many municipalities in our country.”
The project was coordinated with ArtsWestchester, which partnered with the PPAC to facilitate the process. Canapi expressed her gratitude to Shimsky and also to ArtsWestchester CEO Emerita Janet Langsam.
“Janet was the guiding force in all of this,” Canapi said. “Everything I do is rooted in community, and from the proposal that was chosen, you can see the connection to our village.”
All 23 mural proposals were reviewed over a one-month period by a selection committee composed of PPAC members and other local stakeholders. Three finalist sketches were shared with the public for a community vote.
“This proposal by Stuart and Greg was, hands down, the winner,” said Pleasantville Mayor Peter Scherer.
To create their concept, Vance and Nemec photographed community members walking inside the Jacob Burns Film Center’s green room. The mural’s figures are set against a backdrop of vibrant, angular geometric shapes.
“The shapes represent all of the different people we have here in the village and how we all live harmoniously together,” Vance explained. “Pleasantville is known as a walking village, which was the original inspiration.”
During the pandemic, Vance recalled seeing many residents walking throughout town. “The mural is to honor the village and how we all got through the pandemic with our heart and soul as a community. The walking aspect was a metaphor for that.”
Shimsky noted that the mural will be a welcome addition to the village’s vibrant arts scene and highly visible to patrons of the Jacob Burns Film Center who frequently pass through the alley.
“Given the great cultural scene that exists in Pleasantville, between the (Jacob Burns) film center, ARC Stages, the various mix of restaurants and all kinds of events happening here, it will be really great to have a large-scale public mural as well,” Shimsky said. “I look forward to when it will be revealed so everyone can enjoy it. I’m glad the village put together such a great process, and I thank you all very much.”
Painting is expected to begin in late July or early August. The artists plan to kick off with a community paint day.
“We are planning for one day at the beginning of the process to be a community day where people can come and put paint on the wall and be part of the process,” Nemec said. “High school students will also be involved in painting the mural, along with a college student who just graduated from SVA (School of Visual Arts) for illustration and who is definitely on board to help us.”
Abby is a local journalist who has reported on breaking news for more than 20 years. She currently covers community issues in The Examiner as a full-time reporter and has written for the paper since its inception in 2007. Read more from Abby’s editor-author bio here. Read Abbys’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/ab-lub2019/