Next time you motor over to Bettola in Rolfe Square to pickup pizza (their Marilyn Monroe pie is a fav) and sandwiches, or Cafe Ava for coffee and something sweet, or you take the Park Avenue short-cut to Roger Williams Park, you may want to make a quick pit stop to scope out some stunning public art.

Remember the oft-photographed Three Waves For Coastway mural, circa 2013 in Downtown Providence, that was commissioned by the now defunct Coastway Bank? (There are plenty of posts on social in case you need to jog your memory.)

The same internationally renowned artist and educator who painted Three Waves also created the one entitled Crane Flight (2019 photos above and below by me) that you’ll now find on the side wall of the Crosstown Press building at the intersection of Park and Pontiac Avenues.

Amy Bartlett Wright, whose resume includes being an educator at RISD, a 2016 artist residency on the Galapagos Islands (um, that’s major), illustrating 60+ books, and public commissions in at least 11 other states across the country completed it at the very beginning of August 2019.

Also, in case you were wondering why she chose a crane…While working on the wall, Ms. Bartlett Wright was quoted as saying that she took inspo from the city’s seal, which includes several crane symbols. (I, for one, had no idea about the Cranston SEAL!)

And who else can we thank for bringing more public art to Rhody’s 2nd largest city? (Sorry, Warwick, but Cranston moved into the 2nd most populated spot back in 2017.)

Well, that would be the Cranston Arts Commission. In addition, the owner of Crosstown, Stephen Levy, really came through, too, with a generous donation of 8K that helped get the eye-catching project completed.

If you want to take a photo or have your photo taken in front of it (fill up everyone’s feeds and maybe, just maybe Cranston will get MORE murals) , it’s only a short stroll from Cranston East HS and the City Hall.

Bye for Now,

Patty J