Pittsburgh’s Strawberry Way gets a New Mural
Painted on Pittsburgh’s Strawberry Way is an interactive street mural styled after classic game “the floor is lava” featuring 7 local fruits to Pittsburgh and posing 2 questions of equity and justice, by artist Julie Mallis. On Strawberry Way, between Grant Street and Liberty Avenue, exists a historic pathway, which downtown workers, university students, high school students, out of town guests, and curious onlookers can all come together and experience the same enormous canvas from different points of view.
CHECK IT OUT:
Interactive, Engaging, and Beautiful
Painting the ground creates an opportunity for interactivity, engagement, and beautification. The beautiful abstract mural that is painted on the ground becomes contagious by featuring a self-explanatory game modeled after the classic favorite “the floor is lava.” No directions or rules are needed when hopping from fruit to fruit along the pathway is second nature to the audience.
Featuring 7 of Pittsburgh’s Local Fruits
The fruit shapes that create a pathway across the alley feature seven local fruits to Pittsburgh, and introduces them as they come into season. Beginning with the strawberry itself, it continues into cherries, peaches, watermelons, grapes, apples and pears.
DEEPER PHILOSOPHICAL QUESTIONS
Not only is this mural fun and interactive, it provides an opportunity to engage in deeper philosophical questions. The questions have no right or wrong answers. Toward Grant St, the mural reads: “Who is missing from your table”, a nod to the physical tables, which are set up from April through October. Toward Liberty Avenue, “Who gets to eat the most fruit?” is asked. This question not only prompts the game present on the mural, but, also, posits a question of equity and justice.
Bring your friends downtown, and play the game for yourself!
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