Cara Lynch, standing, and her assistant Alisha Horne paint a mural while Walter the dog supervises during the creation of Troy Art Block, an open-air mural gallery sponsored by the Arts Center of the Capital Region, along the Church Street alley between State and Ferry streets on Oct. 14, 2023, in Troy.
Jim Franco/Times Union
“We are thrilled Troy came out on top,” said Troy Mayor Carmella Mantello, in a statement. “What a wonderful way to broadcast to the nation what cool things are happening in Troy. We couldn’t be more excited.”
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USA Today’s travel and lifestyle publication 10Best hosted the contest. A panel of USA Today and 10Best editors and industry experts selected the nominees for each category, and readers determined the winners through daily votes over the course of a month. Troy Art Block placed first, followed by festivals in two major cities: the HWY30 Music Fest: Texas Edition, a four-day country music festival in Fort Worth, Texas, and Birmingham FOOD+Culture Festival in Alabama.
“I think it all came down to Capital Region, and Troy, pride,” said Judie Gilmore, the Troy art center’s director of public art and placemaking, in a statement. “People were motivated to support a regional project that was getting national attention. The idea of putting Troy on the map was really motivating.”
The Arts Center learned of Plaza Walls in Oklahoma, which inspired Troy Art Block, through a similar highlight in USA Today, said Elizabeth Reiss, president and CEO of the center, in a previous interview with the Times Union. She hoped that the festival would at least place among the top mentions and encourage others to see Troy and the Capital Region as a travel destination.
“It is a unique opportunity to spread the word about Troy Art Block and the many local artists and businesses that made its completion in October a success,” said Reiss in a statement. “But this is only the beginning. We have many more events planned to keep Troy Art Block animated and to secure its place as a cultural destination in the Capital Region.”
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The Arts Center aims to host Troy Art Block every other year in rotation with Troy Glow, the walking exhibition of light installations held around downtown Troy last winter. The center is planning food tours and events to meet the artists behind the murals.