Clicky

A designer crosswalk is coming to downtown Patchogue

|

Rodgers

The now-faded crosswalk that stretches across the heart of Patchogue Village from the library to the theater is about to get a very festive makeover.

Local artist Dave Rogers, who helped coordinate and paint the new mural alongside Stanley’s Furniture on East Main Street, is being commissioned by the village to paint his colorful vision of Patchogue on the street.

(See Rogers’ concept for the crosswalk below.)

“I live in ArtSpace, and ArtSpace is about bringing art to the community,” he said. “And so, I’ve been getting together with other artists and we did things like working on the mural here in the alleyway.

“I had seen all these designer crosswalks in other cities,” like Baltimore, San Francisco and cities in Hawaii, he continued. “And I thought, how cool would that be, to have a designer crosswalk right here in Patchogue?”

So Rogers approached village officials, who then put out an open call to area artists.

“A bunch of artists submitted, and they actually picked my design,” he said. “So I was lucky enough that I had the idea and they picked my design, which was a great plus for me.”

He’ll be getting a $300 stipend for his work.

Mayor Paul Pontieri said he expects the art project to get underway within the next two months. Lights and pedestrian sensors are also being added to the crosswalk, he said.

Rogers hopes other artists will eventually be hired to paint crosswalks elsewhere in the village.

As for Rogers’ vision for the crosswalk outside the Patchogue Theater for the Performing Arts and the Patchogue-Medford Library, he said he pitched a concept that represents “all the arts.”

“But not just the arts,” he said. “It has shopping and restaurants, and a kind of symbolism in there. It starts with books and pencils — there’s a fork, knife and spoon. Then there’s a film strip. And in the middle of the film strip, there’s a shopping bag, a book and the theater masks.

“And then there’s the piano keys that continue on the theater side.”

[email protected]

patchogue crosswalk b&wThe conceptual sketch for the crosswalk, which, once painted, will be in color, comes courtesy of Dave Rogers. Visit his studio by clicking here.

In-story caption: Dave Rogers stops for a photo in front of the new mural he helped paint in Patchogue Village.

 

Our Local Supporters