What is that mural about anyway?
Natalia Rudiak
I just received notice that our stencil for the Carrick mural next to Concord Presbyterian Church has been painted, which is the final step in completing our public mural process. Congratulations Carrick!
There are many newcomers to our Carrick Google Group and I want to welcome you all. Some folks may not be aware of the community process that drove this project, nor be aware of the symbolism in the mural. I wanted to send out some information to both inform residents and inspire newcomers to the Google Group about the possibilities.
For photographs and information of the 2008 mural process click the link below - you might see someone you know!
http://www.carrickpa.com/photos/Mural-2008
For the mural description, scroll down. It is really chock full of interesting stories and connections to our community. Next time you drive down Brownsville Road, impress your friends and family with your trivia knowledge. Feel free to forward this e-mail, and encourage people to join our Carrick Google Group through this link: http://www.carrickpa.com/google-group
Thank you again to everyone who participated - we look forward to many more inspiring events in our community and across South Pittsburgh. Enjoy!
Best regards,
Natalia Rudiak
The Carrick Mural
An Explanation of the Process and the Symbolism in the Mural
This mural, by artist Phil Seth, is the result of a public, collaborative effort between the Carrick Community Council, Carrick Business Association, and the Carrick-Overbrook Historical Society. It is the result of a grant awarded by the Sprout Fund Public Art program.
The goal of this collaboration was to create a piece of art that is representative our values and our hopes, our past as well as our future. We hope you enjoy our journey. Art is what you decide to take from it.
The Rock: Carrick was named by Dr. John O’Brien in 1853 after his native town of Carrick-on-Suir, Ireland. Carrick means rock in Gaelic, and Suir is the name of the local river. Engraved on the rock is the official crest of Carrick-on-Suir, representative of the swans that grace the river. The rock also symbolizes our coal-mining past; the rock is the coal which has mined from under our neighborhood.
The Tree: This symbolizes our family trees and the tree of life with the roots deeply surrounding our neighborhood. Many of our residents have lived here for generations and our children choose to live nearby. The mother is expressing joy in seeing her child reach for the roots of the past while enjoying the beauty of the present moment. The tree is also a reminder of the Russian Mulberry and Cherry trees given to residents by John M. Phillips in the early 1900s.
The Bird House: The bird house resembles of many of our homes, and represents Bird Day, a national holiday created in the early 1900s and promoted by Carrick resident, conservationist and businessman, John M. Phillips, and his colleague, William T. Hornaday (former director of the New York Zoo.) On Bird Day, children were encouraged to create their own birdhouses to promote conservation and increase universal awareness of the natural world.
The Mother and Child: The mother’s smile and adoration express her love for her child. The modern symbols of the mother and child were inspired from our L’Enfant sculpture that currently rests at Overbrook Avenue and Ravilla Street. Originally designed by French artist Roger Bloche in 1899, the sculpture subtlety appears in cloud formation to the right of the tree in the actual final painting. L’Enfant was acquired by The Mother’s Club of Carrick, founded in the early 1900s by Harriet Duff Phillips, a community activist and a progressive leader for causes related to women and children. Note that the young child is wearing a Carrick Athletic Association jersey, and the baseball symbolizes our community’s family-oriented nature and long ties to organized youth activities.
Finally, in the background, you can see the beautiful green vistas, which represent the stunning views and rolling hills in our neighborhood.
giad...@comcast.net
Speaking of bird day....is there a specific day set aside for Bird day in Carrick?
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Greenbandman
From: "giad...@comcast.net" <giad...@comcast.net>
To: carr...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Tue, November 17, 2009 2:38:15 PM
Subject: Re: [CarrickPA] What is that mural about anyway?