A new mural on the basketball courts at Kimberly Field in New Haven is more than just art; it is a temperature‑lowering intervention that benefits players and neighbors alike.
The project brought together students from Betsy Ross Art & Design Academy and local artist Haejin Park, who together created a vibrant, reflective surface using StreetBond cooling paint.
Funding for the work came from the city arts department’s Neighborhood Cultural Vitality Grant Program, with additional support from the Yale School of the Environment, the Urban Resources Initiative, and the city’s Parks Department.
Design and Collaboration
Haejin Park led a series of design workshops with ninth‑grade students, guiding them through brainstorming sessions that blended urban aesthetics with functional cooling technology.
The workshops, held over several afternoons, allowed the young participants to experiment with patterns and colors while learning how reflective surfaces can reduce heat absorption.
After the design was finalized, the mural was painted over five consecutive days, inviting families, neighbors, and friends of the students to take part in the brushstrokes.
Community Impact
The finished piece now covers the court itself, marking the city’s third cooling mural and the first to be installed directly on a basketball surface.
Students expressed pride in seeing their ideas rendered in public space, even though many of them do not play basketball regularly.
City officials say the cooler court surface improves player comfort during hot summer games and demonstrates how public art can serve practical urban goals.
The collaboration also highlighted the role of academic partners such as the Yale School of Art, whose Dean Kym Pinder’s class first sparked Park’s interest in public‑scale projects.