Bringing Neighbors Together Through Art at Ward 5

Mosaic artist Mary Tapogna has transformed the staircase leading to Downstreet's Ward 5 School Apartments in Barre into a vibrant work of public art.

The Ward 5 building has been everything from a school to an office space to its current iteration: nine permanently affordable apartment homes with Downstreet. Through the restoration process, Downstreet honored the building’s history by preserving features such as classroom chalkboards and restoring original windows. Today, Mary’s work takes historic recognition a step further.

Funded by the Vermont Arts Council's Animating Infrastructure grant, Mary’s work celebrates the history, people, and character of the Ward 5 neighborhood. The mural reflects Barre's Italian heritage by incorporating flowers found in both Italy and Vermont; the woodchucks pay homage to the long-lasting nickname locals have for the area, “Woodchuck Knoll”; while the mosaic number fives nod to the building's original identity as Ward 5 School.

The project, at its core, was a community effort. Students from ReSource’s Barre location helped Mary install tiles on the staircase, and Sue Higby at Studio Place Arts helped Mary source many of the materials featured in the mural from Barre locals.

“Mosaic is a perfect artform for inviting community,” reflects Mary. “I hope people come by and recognize some of the pieces they donated.”

Better yet, Ward 5’s new art is already bringing new people in Barre together.

“Art always enhances community,” she continued. “When the mosaic was completed, a neighbor told me that he saw people on the steps he’d never seen before enjoying a sunny afternoon. In a world that can be so isolating, interactive art is a catalyst to stay engaged with community.” 

For Mary, that's exactly the point.

“Everyone deserves something pretty. This could be a boring cement staircase, but instead, it reflects its community.” 

Neighbors, friends, collaborators, and community members are invited to celebrate the completed mural with Mary and Downstreet on Tuesday, August 19, at 2:00pm at the Ward 5 School Apartments staircase at 5 Humbert St. Join us to meet the artist and celebrate the power of public art to connect people and strengthen community.

Mary Tapogna Artist Statement

When I attended the ribbon cutting ceremony at Ward 5 over a year ago, I met some former [Ward 5] students from many years ago, and I heard the name “Woodchuck Knoll” being referenced a few times here and there. I knew then that a visual image of a colorful woodchuck character must be featured in my mosaic [at Ward 5].

Additionally, Barre, as many already know, is home to a strong Italian community due to the granite industry. It’s likely that many Italian immigrants lived directly in the Ward 5 area and arrived in Barre during the time when Ward 5 was constructed.

My concept was to honor the Italian community as well as the Woodchuck Knoll namesake. Over several months prior to this summer’s (2026) installation, I created detailed depictions of various flowers that you can find in Italy and Vermont. These include Sunflowers, Lillies, Poppies, Geraniums, and Lilacs, to name a few. I also created two woodchucks that face one another, as subtle bookends to the stairs, and a couple of 5’s (that you will find at the top). These depictions were created ahead of time using a photograph, lit from underneath layered with fiberglass mesh, and then tile and glass were glued directly to the mesh. I could then install these finished pieces on site. Creating these ahead of time gave me the time to create with the patience and intricacy that mosaic deserves.

On site I came up with the diamond pattern on the bevels that are on either side of the buttress tops. I am pleased with how this pattern creates a nice bookend border effect on the flowers and woodchucks.

I want to specifically thank Downstreet Housing & Community Development for hiring me. Thank you to Stephen Cohen [Project Manager, Downstreet] for your consistent friendly helpfulness. Thanks to the Vermont Arts Council for wanting to create art in a hidden pocket of Barre. I also want to say thank you to Sue Higby at Studio Place Arts for putting a call out to the Barre Community for donated materials (dishes, glass, etc…) to be included into this project.

It was my honor to create this mosaic, and I hope the Barre community enjoys this neighborhood gem for years to come.