or, in other words, buildings covered in a mural – three examples seen in Salem Massachusetts
below: The Red House, 2019, a bright and lively painting by Colombian artist, Ledania
below: “Villa Alegra” by Antonyo Marest for Punto Urban Art Museum
below: Habernaro Bike Shop, painted with cheerful, whimsical shapes and colours by Annadidathing
Photos taken July 2024
On the left is a mural by Okuda (aka Okuda San Miguel) called “Cat Witch” (it is Salem after all!) showing a figure that is both human and feline. Her fur/skin/body is constructed using many multicoloured triangles which is Okuda’s signature style. It was painted in 2017.
below: Also from 2017, is a mural with a very long title, “Una mirada que embruja por la calles de Salem.” In English this is: “An enchanted look in the streets of Salem”. The artist was Belin (aka Miguel Ángel Belinchón) and it is painted in a style that he calls post-neocubism. A modern day Picasso so to speak.
below: The last mural is also the most recent as it dates from 2023. On the right and partially hidden behind the tree, is an El Punto Community mural, “Generations” – “Generaciones” (follow the link for the full story behind the mural).
It features events (e.g. a fire in 1914 that destroyed a church) as well as recognizable places and people in the community. It was designed by David Fichter.
The mural was painted on metal panels with the help of Xerxes Butt, Bianca Oppedisano and Joshua Winer, and then installed on the side of this building.
A shout out to Punto Urban Art Museum, the organization behind the murals in Salem.
Photos taken in July 2024
On a fence in Salem Massachusetts is a series of paintings by a group of artists who used the book “A Dream Called Home” as inspiration. The book is a memoir by Mexican-American author Reyna Grande and in it tells of her dreams of a stable home and how she makes it happen. Last year several artists participated in the project, including six local artists from the neighborhood. These are the murals on that fence.
Punto Urban Art Museum is the organization behind this project. It was founded by North Shore Community Development Coalition (North Shore CDC) in Salem’s historic El Punto neighbourhood. This fence is but one of their many projects.
below: “Teenage Mutant Ninja Tortugas” by Kearin Alexander Frias is on the left.
below: Anatomically correct heart in blue hands, a painting by Llemonmoss.
below: Left – “Home Cooked Meals Feed the Soul” by Nick Pinciaro and on the right – “Vessel” by Amanda Beard Garcia.
below: Left – “My Father’s Keeper” by Emily Kwong and on the right – “Nou La” by Rachel Domond
below: There is text in the background that is difficult to see in this photo but it is a blend of two quotes from the book: “You are now bilingual, bicultural, and binational. You are not less. You are more, twice the girl you used to be.” Painted by Yixuan Zeng
below: “Last Night Precipice” by Margarita Krylova
below: “Detachment” by T.J. Gansenberg
below: Left – ” A Tiny Home, A Perfect Fit” by ERA and on the right – “Coffee” by Alba Ward
below: Left – “Seek Peace and Pursue it” by Alexa Wilson, and on the right – “Growth” by Joshua Beckett
below: “Raiz Enmascarada” by Jean Cardona
below: “Parque Infantil” by Altagracia
below: Left – “Nesting” by Jacob Ginga and on the right – “Growth” by Vicky Ortega
below: “Eternamente Bienvenida” by Katherine Castillo
below: “Trabajando Por Un Sueño Mejor” by Ramon Santiago
below: “Coming Together” by Tatianna Rivas and Armani Lewis.
Photos taken July 2024
Eyes on the Streets 