iDistricts Murals & Mosaics Public Art Project
2024 marks the 5th year of this partnership between the Broome County Arts Council and Broome County Planning Department, with a mission to revitalize three municipalities (Endicott, Johnson City, and Binghamton) through the installation of public art. The project paid out almost a quarter of a million dollars to a very diverse array of talented and qualified artists (local, regional, state, and a few national and international), to “spark joy” and celebrate innovation (hence, the “i” Districts) in three former locations of industry. These murals are one of the top things to see in Binghamton.
Margot Datz (Edgartown, MA)
186 State St, Binghamton NY
Margot Datz is an accomplished artist with a professional career spanning nearly 37 years. She is known for creating large and small-scale murals that can be found in commercial, public, and residential spaces across the country. Datz’s art is inspired by the people for whom she creates the murals, and her work is characterized by an energetic and vibrant presence. Datz’s work is one of the top things to see in Binghamton
Scott Yurko (Washingtonville, NY)
128 Oak Hill Ave, Endicott NY
Scott Yurko is an artist and a former student of Maine-Endwell High School as well as the School of Visual Arts. Yurko is a member of the United Scenic Artist Local 829 and has spent the majority of his career as a scenic painter for the NYC Metropolitan Opera Association. For his mural, Yurko drew inspiration from the legacy of Endicott NY’s own Little Italy, and the Italian heritage of its proud occupants.
Vincent Ballentine (Brooklyn, NY)
32 Garfield Ave, Endicott NY
Vincent Ballentine is a muralist residing in Brooklyn, NY who highly values the accessibility aspect of murals. He believes that murals provide an opportunity for people to engage with art outside of the traditional exhibition venues. His work is one of the top things to see in Binghamton. Ballentine’s murals are inspired by the community they are created in, and he takes pleasure in how they bring joy to the communities they become a part of.
Andrew Haan (Los Angeles, CA)
26, 28-30 Washington Ave, Endicott NY
Andrew Haan is a muralist based out of Los Angeles, CA. Haan’s art, evidently inspired by his background in graphic design and architecture, capitalizes on the use of bold colors, clean lines, and pattern work. Haan has expressed fascination with the infinite potential of the use of lines in art and design to create unique visuals that are characterized by their structure and presence.
Luigi Gobbo (Endicott, NY)
122 Oak Hill Ave, Endicott NY
Luigi Gobbo grew up in a small town near Venice, Italy, and studied mosaic tile art at the Scuola Artigiana in Motta Di Livenza. He immigrated to the US in 1965 where he began his tile apprenticeship in upstate New York. His tilework is one of the top things to see in Binghamton. In his 50 years as a mosaic artist, he has completed a variety of pieces for both individual and commercial clients.
Brent Houzenga (New Orleans, LA)
17 Broad Street, Johnson City NY
Carlos Culbertson aka ZuluPainter (St. Petersburg, FL)
68 Exchange Street, Binghamton NY
Ian Muldoon (Louisville, KY)
35-41 Washington Avenue, Endicott NY
Scott Walker (Norfolk, VA)
60 Washington Avenue, Endicott NY
Scott Walker is a prolific visual artist from Cambridge, England. He received formal artistic training at the Cambridge School of Visual & Performing Arts, before earning a scholarship to complete his BFA in Communication Design at Parsons School of Design in New York. Walker spent several years as a commercial designer before leaving the advertising industry to focus on creating contemporary art as a full-time independent artist.
Steven Teller (St. Augustine, FL)
265 Main St, Johnson City NY
Steven Teller has been painting murals since 2016 and has successfully completed over 20 murals throughout the USA, Costa Rica, and Puerto Rico. Teller believes in the positive power of public arts and its transformative impact on a community, making his murals one of the top things to see in Binghamton
Danaé Brissonnet (Quebec, Canada)
Carousel Head
92 State Street, Binghamton NY
Ivan Roque (Miami, FL)
Welcome to Imagination
240 Main Street, Johnson City, NY
Lachlan Chambliss (Ithaca, NY)
200 Oak Hill Ave, Endicott, NY
Lachlan Chambliss served as a Peace Corps volunteer from 2007 to 2011. During this period, he painted nearly 70 large murals that were intended to be utilized as educational tools by local teachers. Chambliss’ portfolio features other mural works that address public health issues, including malaria, AIDS prevention, and other global health and community issues.
Bruce Greig (Binghamton, NY)
Binghamton’s Tree of Life
50 Exchange Street, Binghamton, NY
J Muzacz (Austin, TX)
227 Main Street, Johnson City, NY
Damien Mitchell (Brooklyn, NY)
16 Lewis Street, Binghamton, NY
Damien Mitchell is a Brooklyn-based graffiti artist and muralist from Wagga Wagga, Australia. His work focuses on distorted realism and draws inspiration from the people and places around him. Mitchell has painted and exhibited work in several countries on four continents and has also provided artwork for the Global Mural Conference, Mi Sangre Foundation, MTV Music Video Awards, Doctors Without Borders, and the MLB All-Star Game, among others.
iDistricts FAQ
In 2018, the County and BCAC co-wrote a state grant to fund up to 28 murals or mosaics in three iDistricts (innovation): Binghamton, Endicott, and JC. The murals are part of a public art revitalization project.
In the Spring of 2020, The Broome County Arts Council (BCAC), in partnership with Broome County Planning Department (BCPD), collaboratively requested qualifications (RFQ) from professional artists who wished to be considered for mural or mosaic design for this project, according to State guidelines. The RFQ was active for just 3 weeks! 50 artists applied. Out of 50, 35 artists, an almost even mix of local, regional, national, and internationally-based artists, were notified that they were eligible.
The first round of mural and mosaic installations began in August 2021!
The Request for Qualifications (RFQ) was open to all entrants, artists who were regionally based in the Southern Tier and Central New York were especially encouraged to apply. Both individual artists and collaborative artists were welcome to apply. All artists were required to have familiarity with working on large-scale art construction, assembly, installation, and expert knowledge about quality materials for creating and maintaining vibrant and lasting murals.
The Broome County “iDistricts” include Binghamton, Johnson City, and Endicott, NY. There have been a number of murals and mosaics already installed across these municipalities. Please reference the map located on this webpage to learn their precise locations.
At this time BCAC and the Broome County Planning Department do not anticipate launching another call for walls or artists for this particular. However, keep checking the BCAC website for updated information about upcoming projects.
All walls and artists have been selected for the iDistricts Project. However, BCAC is still accepting donations of food vouchers from local restaurants in the area for the iDistricts Project. To donate, please email Zoha Khan at zkhan@broomearts.org
The iDistricts Program is a collaboration between the Broome County Arts Council and the Broome County.
