On a colorless corridor in the CBD, marked by beige office buildings and the Tulane Medical Center, there is a surprise hidden behind the New Orleans Public Library on Loyola Avenue. That's where MILAGROS, the New Orleans/Miami-based art collective comprising Felici Asteinza and Joey Fillastre, have painted a vibrant, patterned mural capturing the cool vibes and movement of the Crescent City.
The public selected MILAGROS in an online poll after the library received a community art grant to install a mural at the Loyola Avenue branch. Site specificity is important to the duo's work, so in this case they incorporated a playful, concentric line pattern—a common thread in a lot of MILAGROS' work—to channel the movement of the breeze, since the position of the building often creates a wind tunnel of sorts. Cool-toned pops of color complement the grass and trees that surround the area, and also nod to the nearby Mississippi River.
MILAGROS also collaborated with retailer Kit and Ace, purveyors of super-soft machine-washable cashmere who opened a New Orleans store last week, to create a mural in the store that has that signature line pattern and the phrase "Time is Precious."
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