Truitt Bark Park Art Installments Case Study

March 20th, 2024

Objective

Midtown Parks aimed to enhance Truitt Barks Park’s appeal with two strategic art installations in the dog park in 2023. With hundreds of daily visitors to the park, the focus of these installations came from a need to maintain an inviting atmosphere by refreshing the park’s aesthetic and addressing a vandalism issue that had arisen. The installations included a vibrant revitalization of the iconic BARK letters found at the front of the dog park and the revival of a large-scale mural that had previously fallen victim to graffiti issues on the nearby Sacramento Regional Transit (SacRT) flyover.

Before and after photos of the art installments at Truitt Bark Park.

Our Strategy

In collaboration with the Capitol Area Development Authority (CADA) and Sutter Health, Midtown Parks successfully introduced these vibrant pieces of artwork to Truitt Bark Park from October – November of 2023. Teaming up with local artist Uli Smith, the iconic BARK letters were transformed with a bright and cheery design. To amplify these efforts, a comprehensive strategy was employed which utilized social media updates, a dedicated media segment, and strategic timing to have the artist’s work coincide with Second Saturday during the inaugural Hops & Hounds Brewfest in October. This allowed the community to witness the live transformation of the letters, fostering engagement and excitement.

Uli Smith works on painting a new design for the iconic BARK letters at Truitt Bark Park

In addition to the BARK letters, Midtown Parks, in collaboration with SacRT, installed a captivating, large-scale mural featuring eight dogs on the SacRT flyover—the mural is often the backdrop for the many park visitors.

John Horton’s completed mural near Truitt Bark Park

The site had long been a target for graffiti, and an earlier iteration of the mural was on display for four years, proving to be a successful deterrent. With several new measures taken to ensure another four to five-year longevity of the mural, Midtown Parks reengaged with local artist John Horton, who painted the original mural. The new mural featured eight dogs, six of which are cherished pets of Midtown stakeholders and business owners, who contributed generously to the mural refresh. Another dog was a beloved favorite from the Front Street Animal Shelter, known for its perpetual smile resulting from a neurological disorder.

The final pooch belonged to the winner of Midtown Parks’ Big Day of Giving contest. The contest entered any donor who donated $50 or more to Truitt Bark Park during Big Day of Giving the chance to have their dog painted in the new mural. The campaign for one lucky donor to have their dog painted on the mural helped to raise $2.3K for Truitt Bark Park.

The Results

Check out the art installments in person at Truitt Bark Park at 1818 Q Street. Our mission at Midtown Parks is to increase health and community engagement by investing in our Midtown Parks, to help support projects like this donate here.