This turtle designed by Maple Leaf resident Rachel Marcotte is about to make its much-bigger-than-life debut as it slowly appears at the Wallingford intersection of Interlake Avenue North and North 41st Street over the weekend.
The artist and decades-long resident of Maple Leaf has been working with neighbors surrounding the intersection to create both the city’s and Wallingford’s second painted intersection, closing it to traffic from Saturday morning through Sunday evening.
Our news partners MyWallingford wrote about the other painted intersection, a ladybug at North 50th Street and Burke Avenue North dubbed the “Wallybug,” when it got its annual coat of paint in July, which brought to our attention Marcotte’s participation in the new project.
Although she designed the turtle and will be drawing its outline on the street with the help of a few artist frients, at least 50 volunteers of all ages will be helping with the painting, filling in the design following a “paint-by-numbers” idea.
Stop by and check it out if you get a chance, and think about where you’d like to see a painted intersection in Maple Leaf.
Looks like a great project for Wallingford, I’m sure it will put a smile on many faces.
Just curious if any thought went into painting a whole intersection and what that paint will do for traction in wet weather? I imagine any bike/motorcycle riders will dump and slide when turning on rainy days.
Why does it have to be an “intersection” ?
So many of our streets are very long, and need a diversion to slow drivers down. I would love a turtle in the middle of our long street on 100th … between 12th and 15th … where there should be TWO intersections (13th & 14th) to decrease speeders.
I think anything in our neighborhood would have to playfully incorporate one of the ubiquitous round-a-bouts.
I would also hope we might “branch-out” from yet another literal take on Maple Leaf (see post on water tower). I love the classic leaf shape, but lets show some originality.
Rachel’s husband is very proud of her efforts and of her other, though of a primarily botanical nature, art.
He also asks a favour of his Mapleleaf neighbors: that they report to him, should they happen to notice such, of the location of one his honeybee hives – that has recently absconded from its comfortable little home. It is likely that they have taken-up housekeeping in one of his neighbour’s sheds, attics or trees. This hive would be an offshoot of one of the hives that was rescued, fairly recently, from under our 15th Ave. bridge. A reward for their location will be paid for with a pint ot honey.
Uncle Robbie
If you’d like a maple leaf, rather than a turtle, painted in your neighborhood, I’m sure it can be arranged. Just lemme know.
That’s not a maple leaf, it’s a turtle.