On the corner of County and Goffe St., adjacent to the New Haven Correctional Center, you’ll find the 2024 mural “Thermal Reflections.” The 255’x50’ mural was designed and installed by Connecticut artist Michael DeAngelo, along with the support of four apprentices. The planning and implementation of this mural is part of a two-year seed grant that brought together the Yale School of Art, School of the Environment, School of Architecture, and the Department of Arts, Culture & Tourism at the City of New Haven, among other stakeholders. Daniel Pizarro MFA ‘12 led the creative process and community engagement as a long-time resident of New Haven.
Thermal Reflections at the Goffe St. Armory
Our Process
Initial site visit to the Goffe St Armory
The in-progress mural; the design’s initial coat of primer.
The wall using a thermal- camera showing the surface heat.
The mural unveiling and press conference
The mural site was strategically chosen for its potential to serve as a landmark for climate engagement through public art. The Goffe St. Armory, located in the Dixwell neighborhood of New Haven, was originally constructed in the 1930s as a base for the Connecticut National Guard. Though it has been mostly unused since 2009, there has been a renewed push to revitalize the building, emphasizing its potential as a community hub. In 2023, the building was added to the Connecticut Freedom Trail, which documents and designates sites that embody the struggle for freedom and human dignity while celebrating African American communities. The mural is situated above Gather New Haven’s Community Garden, which supports the community in growing their food while fostering social connections and enhancing public health, food security, and environmental stewardship.
The overarching goal of the mural’s design was to work with community members to co-create an aesthetic that would resonate with residents in the area while honoring the social-historic nature of the building.
A striking design component is the color gradation from red to blue, hot to cool. On the far left, the mural illuminates the red-hot rising temperatures within New Haven. On the far right are the cool blue breezes found in the natural environment. In the middle, the iconic white PVC hoops found throughout the community garden represent a doorway to becoming better stewards of our environment and health. The silhouettes intertwined within the gradient were explicit symbols derived from the community brainstorming session, such as the power lines seen on the left side of the wall. The plants and bugs depicted on the right side of the wall were informed by Yale School of the Environment’s Berkana McDowell and were further visually developed by the apprentices. DeAngelo’s resulting mural design sustains visual appeal through its bold chromatic color scheme and dominant shapes, reflecting the environment where it resides.
Mural Apprenticeship Program
Photo Credit: Elio Wentzel
As part of this initiative, the Yale School of Art, School of the Environment, and School of Architecture partnered with the Department of Arts, Culture & Tourism at the City of New Haven to create the city’s first Mural Apprenticeship Program to train local artists in the art of mural making.
“The Department of Arts, Culture, and Tourism is a proud advocate for and supporter of public art around the Elm City. It’s particularly special to support artistic projects like this one that thoughtfully integrate the voices of our community with the history of our city and the issues of our times – all at one of our most iconic buildings, the Goffe Street Armory,” said Adriane Jefferson, Director for the Department of Arts, Culture, and Tourism for the City of New Haven. “As the steward of New Haven’s Municipal Fund for Works of Art, we love finding opportunities for muralists – both experienced and budding – to enrich and enliven our public spaces,” she continued. “With the mural team consisting of a seasoned muralist and four mural apprentices who will train on this large-scale mural project, we’re excited that this project will also help to support our next generation of public artists.”
The four chosen apprentices were interested in mural making and developing their design and painting skills. With varying backgrounds and experience, the apprentices participated in a drawing workshop, community brainstorming efforts for the mural’s design, and painting several test walls to examine the UV reflective and temperature-reducing properties of the cooling paint. The curriculum was designed by Michael DeAngelo and culminated in the mural installation.
The test walls, created by the apprentices, identifying how the different colors respond to UV radiation and how traditional acrylic paint compares to cooling paint. Blue indicates cool temperatures, while red represents heat. These were taken through a thermal camera.
The apprentices in art workshop to develop skillset.
Meet the Team
Community Engagement with Community Members and Local High Schools
This project was informed by members of the community. Students from local New Haven high schools and other community members, were asked to illustrate imagery about their relationship with the climate. The community’s insights informed the synthesis of the design through both symbolism, localized meaning, and visual considerations.
