NOBLESVILLE — The next time you cross the street at Forest Park, you’ll notice new artwork covering the ground that reflects the park and its surroundings. The two made-over crosswalks are the ones near the Forest Park Aquatic Center and the newly remodeled center restroom building.
In a new release sent out by the city of Noblesville, parks director Brandon Bennett praised the teamwork that went into the project. “We’re always looking for ways to incorporate art in our parks and we saw this as a great opportunity to update the crosswalks in a fun, creative way. Parks staff are involved with various art councils around town, which is where we first heard about Nickel Plate Arts transforming other crosswalks, and we knew we wanted to work with them on this project,” Bennett said.
A selection committee worked with Nickel Plate Arts to review various artwork entries before selecting two different designs by Noblesville resident Darren Peterson. “Darren’s designs really brought the crosswalks to life and incorporated elements of Forest Park,” said Mike Hoffmeister, assistant park director.
According to the city’s public affairs manager Robert Herrington, a water life theme containing colorful fish and other aquatic life now connects the park to the aquatic center.
The center restroom crosswalk features two large footprints with silhouettes of animals typically found in the park – such as a squirrel, bunny and fox – with the animal footprints walking along the crosswalk. Each crosswalk includes safety elements with vibrant colors.
