A vibrant transformation is in store for the parking structure outside of Merriam Plaza Library and the Merriam Community Center.
The Merriam City Council last week unanimously approved a $50,000 contract with New Orleans-based artist duo Milagros Collective for a vibrant, colorful mural to span the stairs in and around the parking structure at 6040 Slater St.
This is part of the city’s larger public art master plan, which is an overarching effort to bring more public art to Merriam’s streets.
City staff told the city council during last week’s meeting that the mural is to be completed by Oct. 23, the city’s 75th anniversary.
Milagros was one of nearly 200 applicants
- Lauren Krivoshia, assistant to the city administrator, told the city council that Milagros Collective was one of three semi-finalists out of 190 applicants.
- Krivoshia said the city’s public art committee unanimously selected the New Orleans-based artist duo, with an additional 50 community members showing support for the Milgraos Collective design.
- Milagros Collective came with “glowing reviews” about the duo’s collaborative effort, minimal mural maintenance and more, she said.
- Councilmember Chris Evans Hands expressed some concern about the safety of the design on the front of the outside staircase, particularly for people who struggle with depth perception.
- Krivoshia said Milagros Collective is open to working with the city on changing the mural’s design.
- “They’re very open to collaborating and seeing how we can improve it and make it be the best fit for us,” Krivoshia said, adding that the painting duo has experience with painting staircases.
Native plants and Kansas seasons inspired the mural’s design
- With nearly two decades of experience together, Felici Asteinza and Joey Fillastre, the artist duo of Milagros Collective, describe their style as “vibrant and dynamic” with the goal of sparking joy in onlookers.
- The mural proposed for Merriam’s parking structure plays off the architecture of the space and is inspired by native plants and Kansas’ seasons, Fillastre said.
- Asteinza and Fillastre are using largely paint for the mural, but the circular pattern on the top half of the interior staircase is made from recycled materials, which they use in a lot of their work, Fillastre said.
- While the pair referenced the city’s public art master plan for the proposed mural, which calls for abstract designs and vibrancy as well as taking inspiration from nature, the pair said they’re open to making changes to the design as needed for the community.
- “Our biggest concern is that it is something the community would be the most happy with, so we’re flexible to changing any elements that need to to make sense for the space, ” Asteinza said.
Milagros plans to host workshops, artist talk
- Asteinza told the Post that this will be her first time traveling to Kansas, and part of the reason she and Fillastre take on projects in new places is to meet new people.
- “I feel like people have so much more stake in something when they understand the back story behind it and they know the people,” Asteinza said. “We don’t want to come in and put something up that people aren’t excited about.”
- That’s why the pair plans to host an artist talk and at least two community workshops as part of their mural process in Merriam.
- Fillastre said during one workshop, the pair will teach people how to make yard planters out of shredded junk mail, cement and colors. These are some of the materials used in the mural proposed for the parking structure, he said.
- During a second workshop for children of all ages, the duo will teach kids how to “anthropomorphize discarded objects” they collect and turn them into creatures referred to as “crud buddies,” Fillastre said.
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