Spotted: The Oval striking musical tone for 2016

Every year the parking lot in the middle of Eakins Oval is painted with a mural, setting the theme for the seasonal park space.  It’s had a touch of the shore, it was Candy Coated, it’s been a Summer Kaleidoscope. This year the theme is musical thanks to Brad Carney’s “Rhythim & Hues” painting on pavement.

This week crews of Mural Arts painters, including summer interns and members of the Restorative Justice Guild, are busy painting swirls, instrument shapes, and fields of color in vibrant jewel-tones. Come Friday when The Oval opens, expect to see musical instruments for anyone to play, a piano sandbox, giant games, a splash pad, sponsor Warby Parker’s school bus pop-up shop, alongside a familiar mix of activities, food, and performances.

The beer garden also covers familiar ground – Brian Dragon is again responsible for the design – with some new variations. The scaffolding bar is back, as are reused granite modules for seating. (Including pink granite elements that may have been rescued from LOVE Park.) New this year: huge translucent water tanks, like the kind you might see on a landscaping truck, that are going to be lit from within by programmable LED lights. So expect the beer garden to have its own colorful glow.

Scroll through the slideshow below for a look at work in progress:

The Oval opens for the summer season on Friday, July 15. For a schedule of events and all things Oval, check theovalphl.org.