This is very cool. It is a group from the Latin American Youth Center. The lead teacher, Arturo Ho, told me that the theme of the mural is everyday people. There are 12 students in the class but you’re more than welcome to help if you see them working on the project. The mural should be completed the second week of August. More photos after the jump. (more…)
Ed. Note: First, let me thank all the folks who wrote to let me know of the new mural going up on U Street just east of 14th Street. I love getting tips for new restaurants and development but it brings me a special joy when folks write in with murals and doors and gardens and signs… it makes me realize that I’m not crazy.
I was lucky enough to run into the artist, Joel Bergner, 30, while he was painting his most recent piece. Joel is originally from Chicago but has lived in DC for the past two and a half years (near Howard University). He says he was never a gallery artist but simply taught himself. He started going bigger and bigger leading to murals. In addition to being able to go bigger with murals, Joel also likes the community aspect of painting murals. A recent one (see photo below) on 15th Street, NW just south of Park Road was painted with the help of local youth.
He is able to paint these murals with the assistance of grants from the DC Commission of the Arts. You may recognize his style. In addition to the one above, he has also painted the great one on the corner of Morgan’s Seafood on Georgia Ave. He also has pieces in NE, DC as well as up in Silver Spring. I’d just like to take this opportunity to publicly thank him for all his work. I think he has greatly contributed to making this city a much nicer place to live.
Sadly, I wasn’t able to ask him all the questions I would have liked to but maybe he’ll read this and answer a couple more that I wish I asked – how long does it take to paint them, how does he pick the designs and how does he select the buildings/locations? Now if only we could get him to Bacon Funeral Home… After the jump a photo of his current project on U Street. I’ll be sure to update when it’s completed. (more…)
Normally I like graffiti like this. But I’m gonna call this a tragedy. This mural used to be one of the coolest in DC. It’s located across the parking lot, on 11th Street, from the one we looked at called Endless Bummer. Truly a sad day. Before the mural was cut in half it should’ve been granted historic landmark status or something like that.
It is titled “Endless Bummer” and is rather depressing. Sadly, I’m sure it’s true at a few beaches around the world. Closeups after the jump. (more…)
photo by quigley_brown
Thanks to all the readers who sent in this new mural. PoPville Flickr user quigley_brown snapped the above photo and writes:
“This is at the Brookland-CUA Metro stop. I had time to get off, shoot this and then hop on the next one (just had my little pocket camera with me). The graffiti artist JU has lots of creative work along the Red Line between Takoma and Union Station.”
This is located off 14th Street, NW near Colorado Ave.
And I was very taken with this quote:
Looks like they just need to fill one more person in. Nicely done.
La Entrada Project – Wall2 from LaEntradaProject on Vimeo.
This is a super cool project from some folks who have been emailing me from San Diego. Mural lovers unite!
“I want to share La Entrada, a public art project that I am part of. The project is made up of 4 murals on new development in San Diego California that is the size of a street block. The main muralists www.crolvswerc.com are extending from the walls and joining forces with local artists and collectives to offer their skills and resources to the community. There are 10 free workshops with all material supplied, in artistic mediums that range from classics such as portraiture and photography to the current popular choices such as silkscreening and graffiti.”
I can’t remember if I’ve posted this before. I think I’d remember it but it looks pretty new to me. It is from the unit block of W Street, NW in Bloomingdale. I like the folks that put these right on the side of their row houses.
It was a good couple of weeks for murals in the city. This one is simple but came out looking really nice. (Upshur Pool is located at 14th and Upshur, NW)
