Art on the Maiden Lane Bridge

When the Maiden Lane pedestrian bridge opened to connect downtown Albany with the Hudson River waterfront, I wasn't too interested. At the time, I wasn't too fond of the Corning Preserve, mainly because my primary memory of the park was of watching scores of dead fish float downstream one evening.

Eventually, though, I did go back to the Preserve and did make use of the Maiden Lane walkway. The bridge is decorated with trompe l'oeil artwork. Each painting is a still-life representing the history of the region, beginning with the prehistoric and continuing to the present. The one shown above, representing the region's Native American heritage, is one of my favorites. It depicts fresh squash, a piece of pottery, and a powerful symbol of the Haudenosaunee...the Hiawatha wampum belt

Next time you walk across the bridge from Broadway to the River, stop and look at the paintings.