The UNITING LINE

Project Finalists

ABOUT THE PROJECT

The Uniting Line is a major public works/public art project that will transform the Hoosick Street Bridge underpass area into a major public amenity and beacon of creativity for Troy.

For decades the Hoosick Street underpass area has been underdeveloped and underutilized, leaving the community around it barren of public gathering spaces, engaging streetscapes and aesthetic appeal. Its lack of appeal is now seen as a symbolic barrier between downtown Troy and the communities northward, a “dividing line”, impeding development and civic growth. 

The Uniting Line is a multi-discipline and phased project employing urban design, architecture and art, and to address these decades’ old challenges and build a new future for Troy.

The City of Troy, the Arts Center of the Capital Region, TAP, Collar Works and dozens of community members have come together to collaborate, investigate and solve the complex challenges the project presents.

The UNITING LINE Finalists

SIMONA BORTIS-SCHULTZ

Artist Bio:

Simona Bortis-Schultz is an art director, designer, and illustrator with a focus on illustration work aiming to capture the elusive magic and ethereal qualities of treasured stories.

Simona holds a double BA in Advertising and Visual Design, from the University of Oregon, and is currently pursuing an MFA in graphic design at the Vermont College of Fine Art. Originally from Romania, she enjoys life in rural, upstate NY with her family.

To see more examples of Simona’s work please click the button below. 

Mural Proposal:

Drawn to Troy for its beautiful architecture, innovation, and history, Artist Simona Bortis-Schultz, in conversation with the community, will create a visual narrative reminiscing of textile pattern designs that aims to translate the historical events of our City and celebrate the current moments of Troy, NY into a modern, bright, welcoming and uplifting design that will transform the area under the bridge into a vibrant community space.

FERNANDO ORELLANA

Artist Bio:

Artist Fernando Orellana is an Associate Professor of Digital Art in the Visual Arts Department at Union College. Orellana has collaborated with robots for over twenty years to make artwork. As a machine designer, a technologist and a user, Orellana has blurred the line between himself and the machine in the creative process.

He received a Master of Fine Art from The Ohio State University and a Bachelor of Fine Art at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Orellana was born in El Salvador, San Salvador and now resides in the Capital Region.

To see more examples of Fernando’s work please click the button below. 

Mural Proposal:

In the mural ‘Inventory,’ artist Fernando Orellana will work collectively with the community to observe ourselves and the world around us, gathering a visual inventory of the past, present, and future of Troy, New York. The imagery collected will be incorporated into a bright, colorful, and whimsical mural that is playful and engaging. Orellana, known for his illustrative and graphic comic book-style drawings, will create a narrative grid that reads like modern-day hieroglyphs, a cathedral, or cave paintings relaying the varied stories that comprise the essence of Troy.

JADE WARRICK

Artist Bio:

Jade Warrick is a visual designer who focuses on art accessibility, global design, and using art to bring healing and wealth to communities; especially among communities of color. Some of Jade Warrick’s work explores ways to connect local stories and art into a communicative piece that in turn can bring equity and healing.

Jade has experience as a sculptor, muralist, illustrator, and community organizer within the arts. Warrick is originally from Los Angeles CA but now resides in the Capital Region.

To see more examples of Jade’s work please click the button below. 

Mural Proposal:

Through colorful and vibrant graphic illustration and imagery, artist Jade Warrick will embrace elements of nature and the urban environment to shine a light on Black excellence, while celebrating the artistic and cultural expression of everyday living within BIPOC communities. Using their art to educate and engage in dialogue, this mural will give voice to important conversations around cultural equity while aiming to unite the communities adjacent to the mural site in an uplifting, engaging way.

Artist Proposal Renderings

The Uniting Line has been generously sponsored by Bloomberg Philanthropies

The Arts Center of the Capital Region. 265 River Street, Troy, NY 12180. (518) 273-0552