Activating Fort Wayne through art.

Fort Wayne and other mid-sized cities are in a dilemma: They’re having trouble maintaining population and attracting new talent—especially younger demographics.

Mid-sized cities like Fort Wayne are having a hard time keeping up with the culture and vibrancy that enhances the streets of cities like San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle, and more – two things that are increasingly important to the Millennial generation as they look for a place to settle.

Alexandra Hall is working hard to help Fort Wayne enhance their ability to attract and retain talent. By implementing public art she is brining Fort Wayne to the front of the race.

Activating a space means pulling people into the space that otherwise would have been underutilized or unused.

Alexandra worked to develop and execute the Art This Way Alleyway Activation program, which is responsible, in part, for the new use of the downtown alleyway network.

What began as a volunteer position, grew into a career. She developed AH Public Spaces Consulting, her consulting business for public realm activation and public art enhancement, in order to do even more. She is responsible for developing, promoting, planning and raising funds for many of the murals you see in downtown.

In fact, you’ve probably taken a self-portrait in front of one or two.

Part of Alexandra’s job as a consultant is to coordinate with private property owners, government entities, and downtown improvement districts to coordinate the placement of the murals or other public art.

An important element of her job is advocating for public art, often assuaging the stigma or fears surrounding murals. She spends a great deal of time educating the community: Public art is not graffiti, and each piece should be appreciated for the unique values it brings to Fort Wayne.

Not only does public art bring talent into a city, murals have also proven to help private businesses get more traffic through their doors (think Pint & Slice).

Alexandra’s passion for public realm activation has brought her to a point where she is being contacted by other communities. She plans to expand AH Public Spaces Consulting on a national level, hiring experts in the industry along the way. Alexandra will continue to consult on alleyway activation in Fort Wayne.