The Garment District Alliance (GDA) is brightening Midtown Manhattan this spring with a vivid, painted mural titled Spectrum, created by artist Kim Carlino. The artwork – which contains 34 unique colors and is painted on 82 concrete blocks along the 7th Avenue pedestrian corridor – signifies the city’s vibrant comeback as New Yorkers and visitors return following the pandemic.
“This brilliant bolt of color extends through 7th Avenue, which is not only the heart of the Garment District, but an important pedestrian corridor for New Yorkers and visitors, with its close proximity to several major Midtown transportation hubs and attractions,” said Barbara A. Blair, president of the Garment District Alliance. “Kim Carlino’s mural is a wonderful addition to the area, creating a welcoming environment this spring as our neighborhood and all of New York City continue to rebuild.”
Spectrum is located along 7th “Fashion” Avenue from 34th to 41st Streets and will remain in place through March 2022. The mural’s bright, bold design begins with red and moves through 34 colors before ending with red at the opposite end of the installation, as black and white lines elegantly weave throughout. Passersby can walk down the sidewalk and take in the beauty of each individual cube, or drive by the mural for a more fluid experience as the spectrum quickly shifts back and forth.
The installation is part of Garment District Art on the Plazas, a year-round public art program made possible through the NYC Department of Transportation’s Art Program (DOT Art). The Garment District Alliance and DOT Art work closely to coordinate and install exhibits and individual pieces, which enhance public plazas and make them even more welcoming to New Yorkers and visitors. Spectrum was also installed in cooperation with the 34th Street Partnership and the Times Square Alliance.
Kim Carlino is a Massachusetts-based artist whose work is rooted in the historical language of 20th century abstraction. She explores issues of color, form and pattern while juxtaposing abstracted forms from nature and the surrounding environment to create works that find harmony within contrasting elements. Carlino has showcased her work in solo and group exhibitions in venues across the United States including New York City, Miami, Grand Rapids and more. Carlino received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
The Garment District is home to diverse business sectors from technology to hospitality and includes thousands of people working in the creative economy, including fine and performing artists, designers, architects, photographers and more than a hundred theaters, galleries, performance spaces and studios.
Kim Carlino: Spectrum will be on view from May 1, 2021 to March 1, 2022.
While you’re there, check out the 40 distinct artworks and typographic designs by Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya in Times Square created for her installation, We Are More.
Keep an eye on Bryant Park for the American Symphony Orchestra, performing live during the month of May. and Jim Rennert’s three public art installations at Pershing Square (42nd Street at Park Avenue).