A sprawling new mural on West Main Street in New Britain is turning heads with its sunrise-hued tribute to the city's landmarks, veterans and everyday residents enjoying the outdoors. The nearly 3,000-square-foot painting, created by artist Micaela Levesque, folds together the Borinqueneers Monument, a World War II monument, Trinity Church, Holy Cross Church, Sacred Heart Church, the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, the cupola of Davidson Hall at Central Connecticut State University, and the Beehive Bridge into a single sweeping scene.
The mural is part of the Bee Line Trail project, an effort aimed at improving connections across New Britain, according to the New Britain Herald. The trail is designed to link the CTfastrak transit trail from its Main Street terminus downtown with the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail in Plainville, according to Bike Walk Connecticut, filling a gap between local transit and the region's rail-trail network. Tabacco and Son, the Bristol-based construction firm hired by the city to work on the trail, in turn brought on Levesque to create the artwork.
Levesque is described by the Herald as an East Hartford artist whose family has roots in New Britain. She said she wanted the mural to make passersby feel brighter and happier, and worked with the city to select recognizable buildings for the piece. The background washes the scene in warm colors suggesting sunrise or sunset — a palette Levesque said reflects New Britain's hardworking people, from early morning until sundown.
Veterans and History Woven Into the Scene
Among the landmarks given prominent placement is the Borinqueneers Monument, dedicated in April 2018 at Washington and Beaver Streets. It stands as the largest monument on the U.S. mainland honoring the Army's 65th Infantry Regiment, the historically segregated Puerto Rican unit that served in World War I, World War II and the Korean War, according to Connecticut Public. Congress designated April 13 as National Borinqueneers Day, an annual observance.
The mural also features the 44-foot limestone Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Central Park, designed by architect Ernest Flagg and dedicated in September 1900 to honor local Civil War veterans. The monument is topped by a bronze Winged Victory sculpture and carries quotes from Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant, per Public Art CT. Nearby, the painted cupola of Davidson Hall nods to Central Connecticut State University, Connecticut's oldest publicly supported institution of higher education, according to World Atlas.
The Beehive Bridge and Life Along the Trail
Another centerpiece is the Beehive Bridge, the 265-foot span that opened in autumn 2019 following a $7.5 million streetscape renovation designed by Svigals + Partners. The bridge features four 13-foot stainless-steel bee sculptures and an oversized central beehive sculpture reflecting the city's emblem, according to ENR, and it reconnected downtown neighborhoods once severed by Route 72.
Rather than leaving the bridge as a static backdrop, Levesque populated the trail itself with people: a bicyclist, a roller skater and a person walking are all depicted enjoying the path. Per the Herald's reporting, the Bee Line Trail offers residents a way to stay active and spend time outdoors, and the mural's human figures are meant to capture that everyday use.
Five Weeks on a Scissor Lift in August Heat
Levesque completed the painting in about five weeks, working through hot August days, the Herald reports. To check her overall design as she went, she would cross the street to view sections together, making sure the composition read correctly from a distance.
She found support from the neighborhood throughout the project. New Britain residents gave her cold drinks, snacks, gift cards and even measuring and scaling supplies during the five-week effort, and Levesque said their kindness made the project unforgettable, according to the Herald's account.
This is not Levesque's first large-scale civic commission in Connecticut. She made her mural debut in November 2021 with a 3,000-square-foot painting on Hartford's Ruth Bader Ginsburg Women's Empowerment Center featuring Justice Ginsburg, Kamala Harris and Ella Grasso — her first time working on a scissor lift for a multi-story piece, according to UConn Magazine. She also painted Glastonbury's MLK39 Racial Equity Mural outside Glastonbury Town Hall, part of a 39-community initiative by RiseUP for Arts, per the Town of Glastonbury.
A University of Connecticut graduate, Levesque is now a full-time mural artist with work throughout Connecticut and several completed international projects. Her artwork often focuses on portraits and nature. She said she hopes New Britain residents enjoy the finished mural for years to come and feel proud of their city.
