Parking

The next time anyone walks by the new Wilson Street Parking Garage, they may notice more color on 
one of its walls. The murals are located on the west wall of the parking garage, which is currently 
under construction behind the Madison Municipal Building. They are visible from both East Wilson 
and East Doty Street and are the first phase of unique louvered art installation.

Within a few weeks, the walls will have large metal panels installed on top of the art to offer 
another effect to the play of light and shadow.  While the murals will still be very visible under 
the slatted louvres, there is a short window of time where the public will be able to see the 
uninterrupted work.

The City’s Planning Division spearheaded “Multiplicity” as a part of a new effort in the City’s 
Parking Division, to encourage and incorporate public art at its parking facilities. In addition to 
“Multiplicity,” the Parking Division, Planning and Arts Commission also supported Actual Size 
Artwork’s exterior relief sculpture “Glimpse” and the soon to be completed “Intricate Landscapes” 
by Luisa Fernanda Garcia-Gomez at the South Livingston Garage.

The City of Madison collaborated with Momentum Art Tech Madison, a local street art supply shop and 
promoter of street art throughout the region.  Momentum Art Tech Owner, James Gubbins, worked with 
a diverse group of regional and local street artists including C3PO, TEEL and Saltrock for an 
intense three-day installation.

“Momentum Art Tech believes that graffiti art — like any art form — is a necessary tool for 
bridging cultural gaps, and can be used as a positive influence among people of all ages and 
demographics,” Gubbins said.

Gubbins said there is strategy and purpose to what they painted. The artists used “bright colors 
and anamorphic shapes to open up the space between the two buildings. The color gradients help the 
shapes pop off the wall and create the appearance of light when there are shadowy spaces. The 
abstract vision gives everyone the opportunity to define what they see within the fluid shapes.”

“I am excited to see Madison’s first large scale street art installation on a public building 
located in the heart of Madison’s Downtown,” District 4 Alder Michael Verveer said.

The Wilson Street Garage is not yet open to the public as construction is still underway. More 
information will be released when it opens.