The street mural in Saginaw, Michigan, by the artist Stephen Hargash, with assistance from Tristan Zamora Photo: Nick Antaya
Applications have opened for the second edition of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Asphalt Art Initiatives, a grant awarding up to $25,000 to as many as 20 US cities that will use the funds to create public art on roadways, pedestrian spaces, and street infrastructure like utility boxes and traffic barriers.The winning cities will be announced this autumn with the goal of completing their projects within a year.
The 16 inaugural winners, announced last June, include a street mural in Kansas City that was added to the four corners of a troublesome intersection, greatly increasing pedestrian safety by shortening the crossing distance and lowering vehicle speed. “Asphalt Art Projects can help cities rebuild from the pandemic by reinvigorating streets and making them safer, while also lifting spirits,” said Michael Bloomberg, the former New Y