Boulevard Tunnel: MOMO

The Boulevard Tunnel sits in a literal no man's land - between the district lines of Old Fourth Ward, Cabbagetown, and Grant Park under the rails. The noise and darkness discouraged people from using the tunnel as a natural thoroughfare between three of the most popular neighborhoods in the city. The Boulevard Tunnel Initiative was born out of this discouragement - and we jumped at BTI's invitation to paint it.



The production logistics were baffling. The tunnel wavers from eighteen feet high to four inches high. The sidewalk narrows from seven feet wide to barely four feet. Never mind the sheer length of it - four hundred and fifty feet on both sides, plus the interior staircases and wall, and the extra two hundred and fifty feet on the south end. There was no room for a lift, barely enough room for scaffolding.

MOMO, from New Orleans, more than met this challenge. His work, a dazzling array of vibrant colors, finely detailed lines and patterns were a perfect fit for this project. 

This exhibit begins with the blank wall, and follows the gradual build of the project to the final frame - a video which spans the entire project.