‘Love Asheville’ mural collaboration coming to 68 Haywood

From food trucks to a play under the stars, temporary uses and events have continued this summer at City-owned property at 68 Haywood St.

Soon a new temporary public art piece will be installed on a portion of the wall surrounding 68 Haywood — one that shows we’ve got spirit, creativity and we love Asheville!

Public art is among the interim uses the Haywood Street Advisory Team recommended for the property. As the City continues to work toward planning for permanent uses for the adjoining Page Ave. and Haywood St. City-owned properties, temporary use of the properties is available the public. This includes the Elder & Sage Community Gardens at 33 Page Ave. and a Mobile Vending Food Truck Pilot Program at 68 Haywood St. In June, 68 Haywood played host to a traveling musical play by the American Myth Center, “The Ballad of R & J.”

As part of this creative mix, an ad-hoc committee including representatives from the Haywood Street Advisory Team, Downtown Commission and Public Art and Cultural Commission cultivated plans for a temporary mural that will be painted on panels to be installed on a wall of 68 Haywood Street walls that reads “LOVE ASHEVILLE.”

Each of the 13 letters of the Love Asheville Mural are being uniquely designed by a different local design agency or graphic designer, with the overall theme reflective of Asheville Grown’s brand and on-going campaign to support local businesses. Coordination with the designers is being led by Jenny Fares of Sound Mind Creative and Asheville Design Salon. Contributing designers are: 828 Design, (Tom Petruccelli), Atlas Branding, (Taylor Sutherland and Lisa Peteet), Curve Theory, (Reggie Tidwell), Dena Rutter Design, Element Advertising, (Matt Levin). Gigantic, (Scott Smith), Harkness Design (Marc Harkness), HNYCMB Creative (Tim Scroggs), Homestead (Eric Pieper), Image 420 (Brent Baldwin), Martha Skinner & Sophia Arbelaez, Novus Architects (Sydney Gilmore), Project 13 (Richard Norris) and Sound Mind Creative (Jenny Greer Fares).

The mural is expected to be completed in September with a launch party to follow. Also at that time, a public survey will be launched to get feedback on temporary uses over the past year at these properties.

For more background and information, visit the City of Asheville’s webpage about 68 Haywood Temporary Uses. Or contact Asheville Downtown Development Specialist Dana Frankel at DFrankel@ashevillenc.gov.