Today, Mayor Robert M. Palmieri and Munson revealed the final concepts for the Liberty Bell Park mural. The public can now vote in person at Munson or City Hall to choose their preferred mural, with the voting period lasting two weeks from April 25^th to May 5^th.

The votes will be counted in a ranked-choice format to determine the winning mural. It is anticipated that the winning muralist will begin work on June 1^st.

Last Fall, the City began structural work on the wall that necessitated the removal of the iconic “Sunburst” mural. The City released a nation-wide call for artists interested in developing a new mural to submit their qualifications. Twenty-eight artists and artist teams expressed interest in the project. A public art committee then reviewed the submissions and selected four muralists with experience in completing large-scale work in a similar time frame this project requires.

Over the course of last week, the City unveiled the four finalists, which include some of the most accomplished muralists in the country. Those finalists are: 

• Amber Art & Design from Philadelphia, PA (amberartanddesign.com)
• Carlos Barboza from Oklahoma City, OK (carlosbarboza.com)
• Rafael Blanco from Chicago, IL (rafael-blanco.com)
• Steven Teller from St. Augustine, FL (steventellerarts.com)

After the selection, each finalist created a specific rendering for the Liberty Bell Park mural. The entries include four distinctly different concepts, giving the public a wide array of subject matter to choose from.

In addition to the mural project, Mayor Palmieri announced last week a redesign of Liberty Bell Park to include a mosaic globe, an etched compass, multiple chess tables, new benches, a new tree line and a signpost that represents Utica’s diverse cultures. Taken together, the upgrades represent a complete reimagining of the park space. The park improvements are a result of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative and a State and Municipal Facilities Grant.

Utica Mayor Robert M. Palmieri said: “I have said all along that this process should be open to the public and the public should ultimately select such an important piece of art. The Sunburst has been a part of Utica for decades. It is our hope that whatever the public decides should replace it, equally stands the test of time.”