Albany's Central Warehouse has long been a decrepit eyesore and a giant stain on our skyline. We intend to change that. I invite you to instead see it as we do -- not a crumbling lost cause, but a canvas by which we can transform our skyline. Instead of broken windows and falling concrete, imagine if a public mural honoring Upstate New York greeted visitors to our home. Imagine if your daily commute took you past community-created butterfly art. Imagine helping to paint this mural yourself -- no art skills necessary!

Redburn Development is currently rehabbing the Central Warehouse and plans to include public art, given certain necessary approvals from government agencies. My proposed 4-panel series, titled "Upstate of Mind" uses real, responsibly sourced wings and includes images of an apple tree, a woman eating an apple, a map of New York State, and a tribute to NY waterways. For the mural, a professional team will translate the series to black-and-white painted wings. The community can finish the rest together in a "color by numbers" fashion.

Created in the Capital Region during the 2020 quarantine, Frankenfly Art is a silhouette-collage method using real wings (or other flat media) to create extraordinary, one-of-a-kind images. Each piece is made from an infinite number of wing and color combinations, so even if I did it for 100 years, I couldn't make the same thing twice. Yet, the method is so simple that people of all ages and abilities can learn. As part of this project, I plan to hold several hands-on, community-based events to raise awareness and teach others how to create Frankenflies from paper wings and pre-cut stencils. This art is practically made for community involvement.

As a lifelong resident, father, veteran, and taxpayer (and other hats), I grew up across the river, looking at the Central Warehouse and wondering when we'd finally be able to do something about it. Now is our time! So let's gather, learn something new, and make art together. For ourselves. For our future. For New York. It's a name known around the world, but most don't picture the Albany skyline. I love the Big Apple as much as the next guy, but it's time the world learns what Upstate is all about. Let's show them how we come back from a pandemic!

In addition to signing this petition, you can help in a HUGE way by sharing this idea on social media using #ButterflyTheWarehouse #UpstateOfMind #Frankenflies and tagging me @AuthorSmithson

Every signature is one step closer to making this a reality. Thank you for your support!