Courtesy of Lindsey Mancini

Mapping public art across the United States, Lindsey Mancini spotlights urban creativity through ArtAround. 

ArtAround was founded by Laurenellen McCann in Washington. It is a public archive that maps public art worldwide through an open-access digital platform centered around a map for documenting artworks. It was later run by Code for America Fellow Anna Bloom before Mancini, assistant director of communications for the Yale School of Art, took the helm in 2014.

“The ethos ArtAround is based on is accessibility for anybody to add art,” said Mancini.  “I want it to be the place where the things that — even if you’re not quite sure if they’re art or not — can be archived and mapped.”

Originally an open-source project, ArtAround was forced to adapt when spam overwhelmed its platform. Since taking over, Mancini has developed a hybrid WordPress site where volunteers can map and tag artworks. While she and her sister are the site’s main contributors, she said that about 18 people regularly upload new artwork to the map.

For Mancini, ArtAround is a way to highlight street art that might otherwise be written off as vandalism and covered up before anyone can document it. She said that although there are similar platforms, they tend to focus on formally commissioned works. 

“I’m more interested in people who are doing self-initiated projects and taking a bit of a risk in doing that,” Mancini explained. 

ArtAround itself is something of a venture for Mancini, despite the platform being partly funded by non-profit technology company Fractal Atlas. According to Mancini, she spends $100 a month to keep the site up and running — a price she is happy to pay, as long as she can afford it.

Mancini said she also welcomes murals and other civically funded projects, like one spearheaded by Alex Novak and Anika Stewart. 

In 2021, the two Connecticut-based artists led the creation of a large mural in the city’s State Street tunnel depicting a colorful neighborhood. Funded by contributions from local businesses and a city grant, the mural was brought to life by the two artists alongside members of the East Rock and Downtown neighborhoods — which the tunnel connects.

Soon after finishing the project, Novak and Stewart noticed that graffiti had been painted over parts of the mural. The pair had an agreement with the city to upkeep the mural for the next five years, and they came to a unique solution to cover up the graffiti without distancing the art from the community.

Stewart elaborated on the value of public art that is connected with its community. 

“I’ve come to the conclusion that art is the most rich part of the history of human beings,” said Stewart. “It really does make a difference for years and years and years to come.”

While they painted over the graffiti that obscured the mural, Novak and Stewart also added billboards into the background of the cityscape, as well as other specifically designed negative spaces, to give artists a chance to paint their tags—signature—or other additions. 

“People have added really cool stuff,” said Novak. “From little space shuttles all over the place to a bunch of cats on doorsteps and even Palestine stickers.”

In a city like New Haven, where urban art can quickly disappear, the nonprofit strives to preserve otherwise transient works of art. Novak and Stewart’s artwork is just one of many pieces on ArtAround.

While ArtAround aims to preserve the presence of urban art, Mancini said that, in some cases, publicizing the location of artworks can actually make them disappear faster.

Mancini said the city often covers up graffiti, something she tries not to enable. She sometimes logs graffiti in New Haven without adding the specific coordinates of its location. If the art gets covered up, she returns to the site and adds its original coordinates with a note that it has since been removed.

“Power often enforces itself in public spaces and determines what is art for us,” said Mancini. “I just don’t think that that is fair.” 

With an open invitation to artists across the country, ArtAround’s growing archive proves that art belongs to everyone.

Donations to ArtAround can be made online through Fractured Atlas.