On September 9, artist Noé Barnett unveiled two murals he created for Housing Catalyst’s newest affordable housing development, Oak 140. The murals feature Barnett’s signature floral designs and visible light spectrum combined with outstretched hands, signifying how members of a community both reach out for help and extend a helping hand to others.

An emerging artist in the mural community, Barnett was born and raised in Albuquerque, NM. He uses his work as a bridge between groups and a tool to shed light on a number of topics. Unity is a dominant theme in his projects as he strives to create opportunities for deeper conversations. Striving to include a broad spectrum of views and perspectives, each piece is built on a painted representation of the visible light spectrum. Barnett’s portfolio is available at nbartistry.com.

Barnett was selected as the project’s muralist in a highly competitive national search and juried selection process led by the Downtown Development Authority. NOLA Creative consulted with the DDA and Housing Catalyst on the search process.

Oak 140 is a mixed-use affordable housing development created through an innovative partnership between Housing Catalyst and the Downtown Development Authority. The new community will provide homes for people who work in and around downtown. The project is set to be completed in early 2023.