Ithaca’s spirit of creativity and artistic expression draws artists of all types to this quaint Finger Lakes town, so it’s no surprise that Ithaca’s public spaces feature remarkable murals, sculptures, and other types of public art, like these must-see pieces.
“Alice” Mural
In 2013, Italian artist Alice Pasquini visited Ithaca and made her mark by painting one of the city’s most beloved pieces of public art: a striking and playful portrait of a young woman wearing a necktie and a jaunty cap emblazoned on a brick wall on the corner of Fulton Street and Meadow Street in the city's West End district.
Cinemapolis Ithaca Mural
Film lovers in Ithaca love to catch a show at Cinemapolis, an independent movie theater in the heart of downtown. In 2019, the Cinemapolis team chose to brighten up their lobby by collaborating with Ithaca Murals to bring Los Angeles-based street artist EGYPT to town. EGYPT created vibrant rainbow-colored murals with on-theme motifs like film rolls and theater-goers wearing 3D glasses.
The Hawk Mural
If you head down Green Street in downtown Ithaca, you may stop in your tracks at the sight of an enormous and imposing red-tailed hawk with a piercing stare painted on the side of a brick retail building. This very Instagrammable mural is the work of Connecticut artist Ryan Christenson, and it’s been captivating Ithaca residents and visitors since 2016.
Ithaca’s Black Community Murals
During the height of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, Ithaca muralists began creating pieces of public art to celebrate Black artists and civil rights leaders in the community. One especially well-known example is the Black Lives Matter mural framed with hearts that spans an entire long wall near Six Mile Creek. Some of the most recent additions to this body of work went up in June 2024: a set of murals featuring women and girls gazing outward and surrounded by inspirational phrases, along with a mural featuring Ithaca resident and civil rights activist Dorothy Cotton, who passed away in 2018. All of these murals can be found in downtown Ithaca.
Painted Electrical Boxes
In addition to putting their art on walls and business facades, local street artists have taken it upon themselves to decorate over 80 electrical boxes throughout Ithaca. From a portrait of activist Famie Lou Hamer to a painted tangle of bright flowers and vines to an imagined vista of prehistoric Ithaca (that one, fittingly, can be found right outside the Cornell Microbiology Department), these bold boxes are a treat for Ithaca art lovers.
Sculpture Garden at the Cornell Botanic Gardens
Murals aren’t the only pieces of public art that Ithaca visitors and residents can enjoy. The sculpture garden is located at FR Newman Arboretum off Arbortetum Road at the Cornell Botanic Gardens includes a collection of architectural concrete sculptures built by undergraduate students in the 1960s, and the austerity of the concrete contrasts with the surrounding plants and flowers in a unique and very beautiful way. Around the Nevan Welcome Center, you will find additional nature-inspired outdoor sculptures.
Art Seek Pass
Transform your Ithaca explorations into an artistic treasure hunt with the free Art Seek Pass. This mobile-friendly pass guides you to captivating murals and sculptures, rewarding your discoveries with points redeemable for exciting prizes!
From downtown to the surrounding areas, you're likely to come across inspiring works of art that add to the community and get people talking. Watch for art events and festivals that showcase Ithca’s local talent and celebrate the city's artistic spirit.
