Houston High graduate designs Wolf River Boulevard crosswalk

By Abigail Warren – Daily Memphian

October 28, 2024

To some, the vibrant crosswalk at Wolf River Boulevard and Farmington Boulevard may appear as bright lines in an otherwise serene area.

But one University of Memphis cheerleader knows the deeper meaning of the design.

Before attending the University of Memphis, Madison Montgomery was a senior at Houston High near the crosswalk. She graduated in 2023 and, as a senior, she and her Advanced Placement art classmates submitted works for a permanent installation in a contest by the Public Art Commission.

“I wanted it to stand out and be super bright,” she said. “I chose colors that popped in my brain — more neon — that would stand out when cars were driving by and over it.”

As she worked on her design, she observed the different approaches taken by her classmates, which influenced her direction.

“It was very intimidating, to be honest,” she said. “The other designs in my class were very intricate. I thought there was no way they would pick mine. It ended up being chosen because it was so simple but had more meaning behind it.”

At the center of her design, an orange and a green ladder cross each other. With imagination, the green boxes can be seen as homes hidden behind trees, represented by blue lines, while pink and orange lines represent people.

“In order to see this design at its full potential, you have to completely let go of common sense,” Montgomery said in a written explanation. “Within these lines is a story about people playing hide-and-seek. No matter who is looking at it, it will bring out curiosity and make them wonder how many stories exist within this one simple piece.”

Cat Peña, Germantown’s public-art manager, said the design effectively simplifies elements of a city.

“I really like how she took the elements of a city — trees, buildings, and people — and simplified them into a very easily readable design,” Peña said. “Her color selection was very fresh.”

Montgomery said she is proud her work will be seen daily by drivers in Germantown.

“It’s super heartwarming to think my design is going to be in the middle of Germantown because I grew up there,” she said. “I love Germantown, and I drive through it every day. A bunch of my family live there. I get to have a piece of myself on the road as long as it’s there.”

The crosswalk will remain until that section of Wolf River Boulevard is repaved, Peña said.

Another geometric crosswalk design is planned for Wolf River Boulevard and Riverdale Road in northwest Germantown, also created by a student artist. However, the timing is uncertain due to ongoing roadwork and funding questions. The Public Art Commission originally planned several installations along Wolf River Boulevard.

“Our initial concept was to look at Wolf River Boulevard and how we connect the community into the Greenway and make sure crossing the road was as safe as possible,” Peña said. “But there are lots of different kinds of crosswalks.”

These colorful crosswalks are part of projects identified in the Public Arts Master Plan, alongside recent installations like painted blue trees and poetry on paved areas.

The crosswalks are created using thermoplastic materials, the same method used for street striping. An infrared heater fuses the design to the pavement.

“It’s as close to permanent as you can get on pavement,” Peña said.

Because the thermoplastic method is relatively costly, designs must be repeatable. Peña compared the process to matching sheets of wallpaper.

Parks and Recreation is also working to coordinate plants in nearby medians with the colors used in the crosswalks.