Overview

At Madison Avenue and Montgomery Street, Southern College of Optometry anchors a busy corner in the Memphis Medical District. This asphalt art project uses geometric pattern, color, and pedestrian-scale graphics to strengthen campus visibility and create a clearer sense of place along the corridor.

Designed for people moving by foot, bike, transit, and car, the work supports a safer and more vibrant streetscape while extending institutional identity into the public realm.

The Challenge

• Create a visible public artwork within an active street environment
• Reflect the identity of Southern College of Optometry and the surrounding Madison Avenue corridor
• Improve the pedestrian experience without relying on traditional signage
• Develop a design that could be installed, maintained, and refreshed over time

The Concept

The design uses geometric pattern, repetition, and color to connect the campus edge with the movement of Madison Avenue. Rather than treating the asphalt as leftover infrastructure, the project turns the intersection into a public-facing surface for identity, rhythm, and orientation.

The work functions as both placemaking and pedestrian-scale visual intervention.

Process

Existing intersection conditions at Madison Ave. and N. Montgomery St.

Design studies exploring pattern, color, and site-responsive placement

Installation in progress by the volunteers and project team

Detail of painted pattern, color application, and asphalt surface integration

Final Outcome

Geometric asphalt art at Madison Ave. and N. Montgomery St.

Results & Impact

• Strengthened visibility at a key Madison Avenue intersection
• Extended campus identity into the public realm
• Added color, rhythm, and visual interest at pedestrian scale
• Supported a safer and more attractive Medical District streetscape
• Designed for durability and easy maintenance

Reflection

This project clarified how asphalt art can serve more than one purpose. It can identify a place, support pedestrian awareness, and make an institution feel more connected to the street. The strongest part of the process was balancing design intent with practical constraints: the final artwork had to be bold, legible, installable, and maintainable.

Overview

The Peabody Vance Neighborhood Crosswalks project responds to a vibrant neighborhood in flux. The intersection of Peabody Avenue and South Dudley Street sits at the heart of commercial and cultural activity. This project strengthens that intersection through visual identity while maintaining pedestrian safety and walkability.

The Challenge

• Create a visual identity that reflects the neighborhood's contemporary energy and cultural diversity
• Navigate permitting and installation requirements for public-space work
• Design a pattern system that works at pedestrian scale and overhead perspective
• Ensure durability and legibility in real-world conditions

The Concept

The design uses modular geometric blocks and directional diamond forms to create rhythm, movement, and visibility. Its palette draws from Peabody Vance neighborhood signage, adjusted for clarity on asphalt.

Process

Existing conditions at Peabody Ave. and S. Dudley St.

Design sketches and overhead map view with crosswalks mockup

Installation in progress by artist Anthony Lee

The neighborhood signage that informed the crosswalk's color palette

Final Outcome

Modular block design installed at Peabody Ave. and S. Dudley St.

Results & Impact

• Strengthened visual identity for the Peabody and Dudley intersection
• Enhanced pedestrian safety and crosswalk legibility
• Reflected neighborhood cultural character and contemporary energy
• Created a replicable pattern system for future interventions

Overview

Hospitality Hub serves individuals experiencing homelessness by connecting them with resources, shelter, housing support, and care. This crosswalk design responds to the Hub’s role as a point of entry, support, and transition.

Place in the Sun uses a structured field of color and movement to create a welcoming public threshold in front of the Hub’s building on Washington Avenue.

The Challenge

• Create a crosswalk that supports calmness, visibility, and slower traffic
• Reflect the identity and mission of Hospitality Hub without relying on literal imagery
• Use trauma-informed design principles in a public street environment
• Develop a design that complies with City of Memphis crosswalk guidelines
• Balance visual warmth with a stable, predictable composition

The Concept

Place in the Sun refers to dignity, belonging, and the idea of having a rightful place. The crosswalk is designed as a passage through calm color and structured movement toward a warmer, brighter center.

Interwoven looping forms suggest the network of support surrounding individuals as they move forward, including staff, services, neighbors, and community partners. At the center, a radiating sun acts as the visual anchor, representing restoration, energy, and optimism.

Process

Hospitality Hub site context at 590 Washington Ave.

January design options exploring abstract movement, warmth, and a central sun motif

Final proposal direction with grid structure for production planning

Final Approved Design

Final approved design for Place in the Sun, a 40' × 20' crosswalk for Hospitality Hub

Current Status

The final design has been approved and is awaiting fabrication and installation by the production artist.

Reflection

This project required balancing emotional sensitivity with public visibility. The final design avoids harsh angles and literal imagery, using softened geometry, repetition, and a warm central focal point to support a calmer street experience while remaining clear and legible from multiple viewpoints.