On Oct. 4, 1966, lifelong Ithaca resident and new shipping hire Thomas Whittaker stepped onto the SouthWorks factory floor for the first time.

Whittaker returned to that same factory 59 years later, but it was no longer the industrial plant he had worked at for over 40 years. Instead of the metallic fumes and mechanical hum of machinery, the space was now filled with the sharp scent of fresh paint, the pumping bass of a nearby DJ and a community of creatives bringing color to the concrete.

Tom Whittaker is no stranger to that community.

 “I lived here all my life,” Whittaker said. “I was born right next door to where I live.”

And to this day, Whittaker continues to engage in his community’s events. Like many other enthusiastic locals, he attended Ithaca’s inaugural Mural Jam held on Oct. 4 and 5 at the historic site where he once worked. The two-day festival, organized by SouthWorks and Ithaca Murals, invited 10 local, regional and national artists to adorn the abandoned factory walls with original designs. The muralists also presented artist talks, workshops and community paint sessions, encouraging all attendees to leave their mark. Their canvas? An 820,000 square-foot former industrial factory.

In Whittaker’s time as their delivery driver, SouthWorks was known as BorgWarner and specialized in manufacturing automotive engine components. Since the factory’s closure in 2011, the SouthWorks team has been planning to transform the idle space into a sprawling, mixed-use neighborhood housing various residents and businesses, the Mural Jam being an exciting step in that process.

Sarah Barden, community outreach and leasing coordinator at SouthWorks, said that community involvement has been crucial in jump–starting the project.

“We’re offering opportunities for the community to participate in the transformation of this factory all along the way,” Barden said, highlighting the team’s goal of making locals feel welcome and curious about the space.

The event also celebrated the first business established on the SouthWorks campus: Found in Ithaca, the beloved Cherry Street antique store set to open its new location later this fall. This development inspired Barden to spruce up the space before Found’s grand opening.

“How do we bring some art to the site right at the beginning?” Barden said. “How do we bring some life and some color and some energy to the campus?”

Ithaca Murals was their answer.

“We brought a couple artists up to the site to brainstorm with us, and they wanted to go big: they wanted to do a mural jam,” Barden said. “And serendipitously, there was some funding that came available to support that endeavor. So now we are able to go big.”

Murals are a cornerstone of Ithaca, a trademark of the community’s creative spirit and pro-social energy. Caleb Thomas, founder of Ithaca Murals and a well-known figure within the local arts scene, was eager to partner with SouthWorks and bring a diverse selection of artists to the forefront of the event.

“I want it to be a decentralized vision of what our town looks like,” Thomas said. “An artist takeover that young people and people of color and women and gender queer artists and people from marginalized backgrounds can have a say in what our city looks like.”

Audra Linsner, an Ithaca Murals board member and one of the 10 featured muralists, said how thrilled she was about the large-scale collaboration. 

“It’s really sweet to have a group like this,” Linsner said. “I feel like it’s really special and unique, and something so perfectly Ithaca.”

Linsner led a community paint station all weekend alongside fellow artists Clove Flores, Eric Bussart, Kristin Dutcher, LaJon Miller, Margalo, Maya Murry, Sergio Arce, Tino Lopez and Wingchow. They were joined by performers of all mediums, including singer/songwriter Jeremiah Craig and Tompkins County Poet Laureate nicole v basta.

Lopez, a Utica-based artist making his Ithaca mural debut, said his creative journey opened new doors for him.

“[Art is] what saved my life,” Lopez said. “It’s my hyper-focus, it’s what keeps me here. I’m a Mexican trans man, I’ve dealt with a lot of different things, [and] every day that I’m creating is a day worth living.”

Lopez’s mural mirrors the boldness behind his story. Its striking purple strokes encircle goldfish and sunflowers are motifs of good fortune and inner radiance.

“[It’s important] to create in a time where so much is going on,” Lopez said. “We don’t realize how much our art can actually help others.”

Miami-based pop artist Sergio Arce, better known by his pseudonym “Registered Artist,” echoed Lopez’s sentiments about art’s expressive potential. Unlike Lopez, Arce had already collaborated with Ithaca Murals in the past. His passion for the natural world, illustrated by the blossoms and butterflies throughout his murals, made the collaboration a perfect fit.

“I would have never gone to Ithaca if it hadn’t been for [that opportunity],” Arce said. “and now I try to go back every year!”

Ithaca certainly has a magnetic quality to it, whether it be through its idyllic landscapes, masterclass murals or its inviting community. It’s the kind of place that leaves a mark — in more ways than one.

Elmina David ’25, despite now being a local, still finds new and exciting happenings around town.

“I didn’t even know about this project,” David said. “This has been the coolest introduction to what’s going on here.”

As Saturday’s events came to a close, the late afternoon sun cast long shadows on the day’s artwork. Mythical creatures, inspired affirmations and abstract scribblings exploded along the once-lifeless walls. One of these paintings was David’s: a little girl in a red dress standing, defiant, for all to see.

“I haven’t [painted murals] in my life,” David said. “It’s exciting thinking about coming back here in the future and seeing people be like, ‘Oh, I know that picture!’”

Thomas Whittaker still remembered what the space was in the past, before SouthWorks closed its doors. His eyes traced the factory walls when he spoke of his past, recalling the distant time when it was Ithaca’s industrial powerhouse. On the same day he entered the site 59 years ago, Whittaker watched as the community painted a new picture of the town he’d known all his life.

“They’ve got one big area down there,” Whittaker said, pondering the playfully colored concrete. “Hopefully they get something going again.”