3D street artist celebrates Community Day at Berlin Farmers Market
BERLIN, N.J. (WPVI) -- "Close one eye," Alysia Mackenzie instructed. "Then, it'll trick your brain into thinking that it's 3D."
Mackenzie, a mural artist raised in Berlin, New Jersey, woke up at 2:00 a.m. this morning and hauled her toolkit to the parking lot at the borough's famous farmers market.
After many hours of painting, the sun rose to reveal her latest masterpiece: a perspective-warping splash of color that celebrated her hometown of Berlin. While standing in the perfect position, onlookers saw colorful ribbons springing forth from cracks in the asphalt.
"I had pitched the idea of a 3D chalk art just because it brings a lot of attention, people can pose in it, they take pictures," said Mackenzie, the creator of Art by Alysia. "The most important thing was to get more exposure for the Berlin Farmers Market."
Through the power of social media, news about Mackenzie's stunning piece will travel far. Thus, it will serve as a virtual invitation for followers to visit the market.
A community staple since the 1940s, the Berlin Farmers Market, also known as 'The Mart' or 'The Auction,' suffered a three-month closure at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Today's the first day of spring, so we thought it'd be a good day to bring the community together," said Jenna Sullivan, manager of the market. "Try to just look at 2021 as being a better year than 2020."
The market welcomed local first responders, hordes of vendors and food stands, musicians, and of course, one special artist from the township.
"It's a small tight knit community. Everybody kind of knows everybody," said Mackenzie. "People, I think, are anxious to kind of get out and be human again."
The Berlin Farmers Market boasts over 70 indoor stores and more than 500 outdoor vendors. They are open Thursdays through Sundays every week year-round. For more information, visit their website.
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