TICONDEROGA – Drizzly weather didn’t stop dozens of people who wanted to see Ticonderoga’s new and colorful downtown murals dedicated this weekend.
The Walls Between Waters Mural Festival took over the town’s business district as creators of the large-scale street art described their artworks that now adorn the sides of six buildings.
Vendors for various crafts lined the sides of Montcalm Street, which was closed to traffic, and food trucks filled the parking lot at the former Rite Aid Drug Store.
One of the aerosol artists, Ryan Christenson, who uses the name Arcy, said his painting on the side of the former Rathbun Jeweler building depicts the Noble Train of Artillery in which oxen were used to drag captured cannons overland from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston to defend the city from the British during the Revolutionary War.
“The important part is trying to connect the community, to bring stories to life,” he said. “That’s really important.”
Dr. Katie Alexander dedicated the mural, praising Arcy’s depiction of a local event from 1775.
“He has a dynamic style,” she said. “Arcy is an internationally known artist.”
Arcy, who came to Ticonderoga from North Haven, Conn., said lot of planning was done ahead of the two days of intense work.
“It took two days, two 12-hour days,” Arcy said. “I like fooling the eye. I use deep drop-shadows a lot so they pop off the wall.”
North Country Rural Development Coalition Executive Director Nicole Justice Green said the artists have been in town for three weeks.
“We started working on this a good 12 months ago,” she said. “We issued RFPs, did contracting. The artists had local interns. It was a wonderful opportunity for the kids to meet international artists.”
The entire project, including artists’ fees, housing, supplies and general contracting work, cost about $150,000, she said, and was paid for with a State Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) grant.
The artists used high-quality exterior aerosol paints, which should last 10 to 12 years.
The murals are in conjunction with the Vacant Rental Rehabilitation Program project on Montcalm Street.
Using $2 million from New York State Homes and Community Renewal awarded to North Country Rural Development and the Essex County Land Bank, the group is converting vacant upper floors into eight new apartments across three downtown sites.
“This is what modern revitalization looks like: No more vacant units, just housing, art, and walkable community spaces coming back to life,” Green said.
Over on Lake George Avenue, artist Justin Suarez of Rochester painted two Peregrine falcons meeting in mid-flight.
“They’re not fighting,” he said. “It’s a courting ritual. The one on the right is a female, and on the left, a male. The flower symbolizes growth. I have an illustrative flair to my work.”
Ticonderoga Town Supervisor Mark Wright said he’s enthused about the mural project.
“The murals are a great piece of our economic recovery,” he said. “People who follow this art are going to come. This is a great opportunity for the town. You have them telling the story of Ticonderoga and the immediate area.”
Many downtown merchants are also enthusiastic about the art.
Ticonderoga Natural Foods Cooperative Manager Alana Desjardins welcomed customers who came for the festival.
“We love the murals,” she said. “People take new pride in downtown. Things are moving in the right direction.”
The six artists on the project, who hail from all over the world, were Tim Parsley from Indiana, Andrei Krautsou of New York City as Key Detail, Arlin Graff from Brazil, Emily Ding from Los Angeles, Arcy, and Justin Suarez. Student apprentices were Todd Sharp and Sophia Lamarche.