Hyattsville’s Arts District feels a lot artsier lately.
In recent weeks, two loosely related efforts have started to transform the area around the historic downtown along Route 1 with new murals, painted walls of buildings, and art-related events.
Urban Investment Partners, a D.C.-based developer that hopes to build an apartment and retail complex in the area, hired local firm Green Owl Design to turn the empty buildings there now into walls of art.
That includes Instagram-worthy murals like one that says “Handmade in Hyattsville,” another that has striking use of color bars and a third that invited members of the public to spray paint hearts and H’s on a long-abandoned building. There’s even a “Welcome to Hyattsville” mural which is far from your ordinary town welcome sign.
“The ‘H’s and Hearts’ project is a clear example of an unorthodox strategy to engage community involvement while creating something unique and beautiful in a fun, cost-effective way,” said Green Owl Design‘s Erica Riggio. “We are doing something different, and this will help Hyattsville’s Arts District live up to its name.”
To see how much of an effect these simple murals have had already, check out the photos taken by D.C. event photographer Erika Nizborski during the Hyattsville Arts and Ales Festival on Saturday.
The initiative also led to the creation of Polka Dot Park, a colorful pop-up park near the church on Hamilton Street.
Green Owl Design is also part of a group of area businesses, including Tanglewood Works, Vigilante Coffee and Franklins Restaurant, called the SoHy Collective, which is promoting the Route 1 area with artsy projects and events.
Riggio said she’s willing to work with any business owner who wants to spruce up their building to add more art.
“We’ve seen more people walking up and down this corridor than ever in the past,”she added. “Art and design made this happen. More people walking outside and enjoying public art results in more traffic for businesses, creates an overall improvement in safety and quality of life, and helps to deter vandalism and other crime.”
