Charcoal on paper, 2015
“In the beginning, Pulaski Heights was near, but sequestered from downtown, and residents took the train in and out. The community had its own cotton mill, abattoir and grocery. Appropriately, the train track features prominently in this portion and is used as a compositional device through all three panels. Referring to the tracks, Rosenbaum stated, “I had a dual purpose. I wanted to portray the people and the history but I also wanted it to work formally.
The middle panel features the more colorful and bohemian era of Pulaski Heights when it was in some decline. John Linley, the modernist landscape architect, wheels through the foreground on his bicycle. To his right, artist Chatham Murray paints a sign reading “Pulaski Heights.”
The right panel depicts the neighborhood today, which is experiencing revitalization and a creative surge. Architect Lori Bork Newcomer looks at blueprints with clients Krista and Trevor Jones and their young family. Milton Leathers is seated with a cane. Leroy Childers, who at 90 is the oldest resident in the neighborhood, is there. Nancy and Charlie Hartness of Hawk Proof Rooster play old-time music in the background.”
ACHF Walking Tour of Pulaski Heights Leads to New Mural by Art Rosenbaum
Barbette Houser, Flagpole, November 23, 2015