below: The hoardings around a construction site at 125th and Lexington provided the canvas for a section of the ‘Grand Scale Mural Project’ in Harlem.
below: In total, over 100 artists participated in the project. See their website, Uptown Grand Central for more information. Some of the murals are shown below.
below: Three happy friends; boys laughing together – by Ramarru
below: A painting by Minhafofa, aka Marissa Molina … with a tattoo on her shoulder that says Never stop dreaming… and she’s looking at you.
below: It looks like he’s swaddled in pink fur. He is Hip Hopper Cam’ron and the portrait was painted by Zane (aka Ivan Jines) using tags of ‘Zane’, a technique that he uses frequently in his portraits.
below: More of the hoardings…. mother and daughter at a table, many faces, a sailboat sailing through a mysterious scene (rough seas? atomic bomb? or just playful clouds?)
From across the street it looks rather chaotic, colourful but a bit of a mess.
On closer inspection, it is an amazing collection of figures (mostly famous ones) and stories. This is Planet Harlem. It was started in 2012 by artist Paul Deo. At that time he won a competition to paint a mural by Corner Social (still there!) at 126th St and Malcolm X Blvd. Rucker on the basketball player’s shirt is a nod to Rucker Park, a Harlem park with a basketball court where a number of “stars” honed their skills.
I wish that I could name all the people that this mural celebrates. There is Barak Obama as well as Micheal Jackson, the Jackson Five, and Aretha Franklin but there are other politicians and entertainers too.
A Harlem landmark, the Apollo Theatre features prominently in the mural.
A black panther lurks here too.
Planet Harlem Story is a website to visit if you are interested in more of the story behind the mural.
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Another source for more information about the mural and Harlem’s history can be found at ‘City Lore’ (a site about NYC) where this quote is from: “As the growth in the Black Harlem population continued in the 1920s from places like lower Manhattan, the southern US states, and parts of the Caribbean, an artistic and cultural movement grew to highlight the connections between self-expression, creativity, and Black heritage. Harlem specifically became a place for educators, scholars, writers, jazz musicians, singers, dancers, poets, and activists like Alain Locke, W.E.B. Du Bois, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Marcus Garvey, Duke Ellington, Alberta Hunter, and so many more….”
The word ‘Infinity’ is written on the man’s gold sleeve. His other sleeve says ‘Faith’.
Yesterday I posted images of a large Obey (Shephard Fairey) mural in New York City that featured the Beastie Boys. Later, I realized that I still had photos of another of his murals that I haven’t shared yet. These were taken in Las Vegas in April 2023.
A large mural featuring the Beastie Boys looms over 14th Ave and Avenue A in New York City. The Beastie Boys started rocking in 1981. They recorded and performed their version of hip hop/rock for more than three decades.
The mural was painted by Shepard Fairey (aka Obey) as part of the NYC Hip Hop 50 celebration in October 2023.
Near 125th subway station (A/B/C) there is a mosaic mural. Original artwork done by Louis Del Sarte and made into a mosaics by Franz Mayer of Munich, 2005. After it was vandalized, it was restored in 2018. It’s a lively scene with musicians and dancers enjoying themselves. Vibrant. Alive.
below: The corner of 125th (also Martin Luther King Blvd) and Frederick Douglas Blvd.
Syracuse filled in the Erie Canal and built a museum to it instead. As part of this museum, a large two storey mural of a canal side warehouse interior was painted on the remains of a 4 storey brick warehouse (1989).
In downtown Barrie there is a narrow alley with a large bright coloured mural by Clandestinos and Shalak Attack
Also downtown is ‘The Container Project’ at Meridian Place. below: One side is the Barrie skyline filled in with flowers and some animals (there’s at least one raccoon). Painted by Katie Green.
The other side of the same container is another Katie Green mural which looks like a collage of Barrie landmarks.
below: On a very pink wall, a mural by Alanah Jewell
In the words of the artist: “The sun will teach us about beginning new every day, and the importance of providing light and warmth. The moon will teach us about the cycles of life and the importance of water. She will teach us that our bodies’ cycles are sacred and will tell us stories of Grandmother Moon The stars will teach us about navigation and our ancestors’ journeys across this land. They will tell us about a time, thousands of years ago, when each of our ancestors started as someone living in harmony with each other and with the land. The bears will teach us about rest, protecting our young, and the importance of strength. They will teach us about survival. The fish will teach us about the depth of the water and the vastness of aquatic life. He will teach us that the water is worth healing and protecting. The eagles will teach us about wisdom, guidance, and a connection to the spirit world. They will tell us about our Creation stories. The cedars will teach us about standing tall and strong. They will tell us to give thanks for this life and the medicines that are abundant all around us.”
As I find more, I will add them here in alphabetical order by town name.
Burnt River: Two halves of the same mural. Rural life – cows, horses, and the old CN train that no longer runs here. The land where the railway tracks ran has been repurposed into a walking trail in summer and a snow mobile trail in winter.
Campbellford: Sunrise over the water. Campbellford is on the Trent River.
Goderich: Butterflies and rainbows on the corner of Courthouse Square and Montreal Street, downtown.
Lafontaine: Profile of a wolf… Legend of Loup Lafontaine – part legend and part true story, written by Thomas Marchildon, a parish priest, in 1955. Since 2002 the town has held an annual Festival du Loup.
Parham: “59th Annual Exhibition of the Parham Agricultural … A glimpse into the past – just some of the people who made the 1950 Parham Fair another memorable event.”
Sharbot Lake: “The Final Journey”, On June 6, 1891, Sir John A. Macdonald died at his residence in Ottawa. After a state funeral, his body was taken by train to Kingston from the mainline to the K&P at Sharbot Lake.
Sharbot Lake: Kingston and Pembroke Iron Mining Company. Incorporated 1887. The Railway’s Influence: with the arrival of the railway in 1876 came new prosperity. Sawmills and mines now had easy access to markets. Sharbot Lake soon had several stores, hotels and 3 doctors. This building, built in 1901, was originally the Farmers Bank of Canada.
Tiverton: The Watchman – this was the name of the local newspaper. At the top of the oval, “Incorporated in 1879” and at the bottom, a portrait of John Patterson, one of the first settlers. Also shown, the Masonic Lodge, local church, an old car and pickup truck at the B A gas station, horses pulling a plow, and an old fire wagon on the main street. It was originally painted by Allen Hilgendorf in August 2001 then restored by Ruth Hurdle in 2010, and by the looks of it perhaps it is being restored again (photo taken June 2025). Other notes: Although the town was incorporated in 1879, it took the name Tiverton in 1860 when the post office opened there. “The Watchman” newspaper was founded in 1874.
Tiverton: Tiverton Platoon 1917, group picture
Wallaceburg: The S.S. Superior, a large boat. “1889-1960, Typical of the Great Lake Steamers that visited Canada’s Inland Deep Water Port, this 250 ft package freighter, a familiar sight loading local products, made it’s last call in 1958 thus ending an important chapter in local heritage. “
If you walk around the old part of Naples (particularly the Quartieri Spagnoli), you will see many murals and paintings by the Italian duo Cyop & Kaf. Many of them are weathered and faded or written over but they are still hard to miss. This is a selection of the ones that I saw in Naples one wet spring day.
Hannging on walls in Seville. by Adolfo Arenas Alonso. Scenes in run down rooms with peeling wallpaper. Once grand but now not so much. Religious icons and figures in paintings and sculptures look down on the human characters. Characters that either impossibly skinny or overweight. Crosses on the walls. Indolent. Slovenly. A macabre sense of place and time verging on the profane.
below: The Matador and the Insolents
below: Ars Amandi, The Dreamers (Ars Amandi is Latin, ‘The art of loving’)
below: Volaveront (Latin, translates to “They will fly). The Hall
below: Verba Volant (The words fly) and Le Grand Stiletto
Eyes on the Streets 