I decided to make crosswalk safety the subject of my art and activism project because it is a problem that impacts both drivers and pedestrians, particularly in school zones where children are most at risk. Pedestrian fatalities and injuries continue to be high in New Jersey each year. Pedestrian fatalities increased by roughly 29% between 2023 and 2024, despite a 16% decrease in road mortality in 2025 compared to 2023.
My two-part public sign installation serves as both an educational and an emotional engagement tool. A sincere statement advising vehicles and pedestrians to slow down, remain vigilant, and share responsibility for each other's safety is displayed in the upper part of the sign. A second panel behind it has a QR code, a title, and a brief explanation that connects to a real-life Jersey City pedestrian accident: Jersey City Juvenile Injured in Pedestrian Accident at JFK Blvd & Broadman Pkwy. By enabling the viewer to emotionally connect with actual events, the QR code turns the sign from a static warning into an interactive educational tool.
I intended my intervention to arouse empathy and a sense of shared responsibility rather than shock or conflict. Instead of being abstract, the message becomes concrete and personal when the art is based on actual local happenings. As stated in The Art of Activism, "For us to stage successful battles on this cultural topography we need to observe, think, analyze, and respond creatively. We need to become artistic activists" (Duncombe and Lambert 12). This another important concept from the book that the initiative supports.
As stated in The Art of Activism, "Art allows us to say things that can’t be said, to give form to abstract feelings and ideas and present them in such ways that they can be communicated with others" (Duncombe and Lambert 25). In order to put this idea into practice, my proposal transforms a typical crossing into a place for awareness and introspection. The shape of the sign disrupts normal traffic signs, encouraging both pedestrians and automobiles to stop and think about how their little behaviors such as speeding, being distracted, and or exercising caution, affect other people.
Ultimately, my goal was to create a reminder that combined art, activism, and community outreach. By posting these signs in school zones, the project addresses both drivers and students, transforming an ordinary journey into a moment of awareness. My aim is that our intervention would encourage people to slow down, pay attention, and appreciate that safety is a collective act of compassion.
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