Artists Are Painting Inspiring Murals On Shuttered Storefronts To Brighten City Streets During The Pandemic
If you’re looking for some news that’s literally bright and colorful amidst the doom and gloom of pandemic updates, check this out: In the San Francisco Bay Area, artists are taking to the city’s quiet streets to paint murals on the facades of now-empty stores, restaurants, bars and other local businesses.
The plywood planks currently boarding up storefronts make for inviting blank canvases for the Bay Area’s local artists, and a new initiative called Paint the Void seeks to connect these artists with shuttered businesses in need of some temporary exterior decoration.
In the Hayes Valley section of San Francisco, one artist has covered a boarded-up storefront with brightly painted flowers — bringing splashes of color to what would otherwise be a plain wooden entryway covering.
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Flowers taking back the streets 🌻 @maxehrman sharing his craft @chezmamansf giving back to the Hayes Valley Community 🌺 one wall done many more to go #paintthevoid #building180 #buildthingswithyour🙌 #supportsmallbusiness #supportlocalartists 🙏🏽❤️ @building180 @art_for_civil_discourse #paintthevoid #paintthevoidproject #streetart #streetarteverywhere #supportsmallbusiness #supportlocal #covid_19 #sanfranciscostreetart #building180
A post shared by Paint The Void (@paintthevoidproject) on Apr 15, 2020 at 10:59pm PDT
As the caption on the very first Instagram post by Paint the Void explains, “Rather than allowing plywood to highlight fear and uncertainty we want to decorate our streets with art to reflect an optimistic perspective. Art helps us contextualize our life experience.”
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Help us Paint the Void! We're launching a new fundraising initiative in partnership with Public Arts Organizations, @building180 and @art_for_civil_discourse called #paintthevoid in response to the pandemic that continues to hit our communities. We've all noticed storefronts boarded up around San Francisco and East Bay. Rather than allowing plywood to highlight fear and uncertainty we want to decorate our streets with art to reflect an optimistic perspective. Art helps us contextualize our life experience. We are collaborating with artists to design uplifting artwork to donate to boarded up businesses in San Francisco and the East Bay and we need your help – we are fundraising donations to pay artists for thier time and materials. Stay tuned for our launch today. Mural by @clengsumagaysay.art in collaboration with @mariacarmelaart 📸 travis woodward @ Wild Feather on Haight St 🙏🏽❤️ @building180 @art_for_civil_discourse #paintthevoid #paintthevoidproject #streetart #streetarteverywhere #supportsmallbusiness #supportlocal #covid_19 #sanfranciscostreetart #building180
A post shared by Paint The Void (@paintthevoidproject) on Apr 14, 2020 at 8:38am PDT
“We thought that beautifying the streets with murals would be a good place for people who are still working the frontlines and getting out there every day,” Meredith Winner, organizer of Paint the Void told Real Simple. “We wanted to bring hope into the community and inspire people.”
Paintings like this one outside of San Francisco’s Dogpatch Saloon would certainly be inspiring to come upon during your daily walk around the block. The mural, posted to Instagram by Paint the Void, shows President Franklin D. Roosevelt in profile next to a variation of his famous quote, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
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“the only thing to fear, is fear itself.” FDR 🎨 by @samagram12 and @tigerbuder for @dogpatchsaloon feeling the love ❤️ 🙏🏽❤️ @building180 @art_for_civil_discourse #paintthevoid #paintthevoidproject #streetart #streetarteverywhere #supportsmallbusiness #supportlocal #covid_19 #sanfranciscostreetart #building180
A post shared by Paint The Void (@paintthevoidproject) on Apr 22, 2020 at 3:43pm PDT
In addition to beautifying the city during this time of grim uncertainty, Paint the Void is also fundraising to provide aid to artists experiencing financial strain due to the pandemic.
Of course, San Francisco isn’t the only city whose artists are emerging from the woodwork to … paint the woodwork. The storefronts of Seattle are getting colorful makeovers as well, with murals popping up on pizzerias, coffee shops, bars and more.
Local artists Kate Blackstock and Frida Clements painted this calming natural scene over the boards covering up Tractor Tavern, a Seattle music venue. According to Slate, the venue’s owner asked Blackstone to contribute art and she agreed.
“It was so jarring and heartbreaking to see all these businesses boarded up,” Blackstone told Slate. “I was excited to be able to put some love on one of the places where I feel most at home.”
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🌼 #forgetmenot #ballard #tractortavern #fthiss
A post shared by kate blackstock (@kateblackstock) on Apr 13, 2020 at 2:19pm PDT
Seattle artist Glynn Rosenberg has painted several storefronts featuring vibrant flowers and optimistic messages, like “until next time” and “see you soon.” She told Slate that street art is especially important right now, as it can bring joy and foster connection while so many people are living in isolation.
“Bringing artists to the street increases access to art,” she explained to Slate. “The pandemic has made existing inequity more extreme, so it is really important to serve the community in whatever capacity we are capable.”
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Love note to Capitol Hill. . . . . . Thanks so much to Downtown House Cleaning for asking for flowers. It was such a pleasure to bring this to your community. . . . . #capitolhillseattle #seattlemurals #seattleart #femalestreetartist #streetart #seattlestreetart #murals #ladieswhopaint #spraypaint #wallart #covidmurals #aerosolart #artist #seattle #seattlestrong
A post shared by Glynn Rosenberg (@glynnrosenberg) on Apr 13, 2020 at 12:02pm PDT
And Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood coffee shop, Capitol Coffee Works, now depicts a lively scene that may very well be the reality for many cat-owners who are sheltering in place with their frantic feline friends.
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Mural by #SANDY on #CapitolHill
A post shared by Antonio Varchetta (@curatingcommunity_206) on Apr 7, 2020 at 3:51pm PDT
Further down the west coast, the artist known as Pony Wave spraypainted a reminder to Venice Beach residents to “stay safe.” Her artwork, shown here behind her in this Instagram post, depicts two people kissing while wearing masks.
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Stay safe!😷 . I did that Mural days ago. Now I’m staying home as everyone! . We all are going through this together. There is a reason which we will see after all. It’s time to look at ourselves. Take a look at what are we doing with the planet and our lifetime. Mb we should change our priorities? Mb we should slowdown? Mb we should take a look around and start respect our planet and all those with whom we share it? Mb someone is trying to hide some changes? Or economic collapse? Mb one more step to a new world order? . There is definitely a reason. And not just one. . P.s. please stay inside! I promise to come back to Venice when it will be over and paint. So let’s meet there when everything will be fine. But for now please stay inside! . Stay safe ! Sending you love ! . Thanks to @max__kote for 📸 from a distance 🙌🏻 . . . #venice #venicebeach #corona #covid_19 #stayhome #staysafe #streetart #italy #usa #china #russia #spain #germany #iran #france #switzerland #southkorea #UK #netherlands #austria #belgium #norway #canada #portugal #sweden #australia #brazil #israel #japan #turkey
A post shared by Pony Wave (@ponywave) on Mar 24, 2020 at 8:57am PDT
In another corner of Los Angeles, residents can spot a painting of soldiers battling the pandemic while armed with toilet paper, cleaning supplies and hand sanitizer.
An image of the mural by Hijack Art appears on the artist’s Instagram page, captioned with a quote by Neil Degrasse Tyson: “As humans, we like to think we are in charge of our own corner of the universe. But every now and then a microscopic entity reminds us that we are not.”
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As humans, we like to think we are in charge of our own corner of the universe. But every now and then a microscopic entity reminds us that we are not. @neildegrassetyson
A post shared by HIJACK (@hijackart) on Mar 17, 2020 at 11:59am PDT
Over in Denver, street artist Austin Zucchini-Fowler completed a “wall of gratitude” meant to honor chefs, servers, bar staff and other “hospitality heroes.”
This Instagram image of the artist’s work shows a painting of a chef wearing a face mask and wielding a pizza peel next to the words, “It’s gonna all be okay.”
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Third wall of gratitude complete. Thank you to our hospitality heroes(chefs and frontline servers) out there and I have several shoutouts. • Thank you Marla @bigsbysfolly who has given away over 3,000 pint glasses to health care workers. 😮 Making them feel so loved. 🤗 • Thank you Andrea @afrizzi for allowing me to use you as my muse for this piece and for your creativity and words of encouragement. It’s all going to be ok! 💚🤍❤️ • Thank you @frontlinefoodsden for supporting local restaurants and feeding thousands of healthcare heroes. • Thank you Robin @_dreadgod_ for the incredible lettering and opportunity to collaborate with you. 🤛🏼 #streetart #publicwork #painting #mural #pointillism
A post shared by Austin Zucchini-Fowler (@austinzart) on Apr 26, 2020 at 5:45pm PDT
Pandemic-inspired street art has also appeared in Germany’s capital city. Berlin artist Eme Freethinker created a mural depicting Gollum from “The Lord of the Rings” coveting a precious roll of toilet paper that is being spirited away by “Ice Age” squirrel, Scrat.
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Gollum is back to the @mauerpark but this time he meets a guy more greedy than him, Scrat the squirrel. This one is just to put a smile in this hard times #Berlingraffiti #Berlinstreetart #CaribbeanVandal #Dominicangraffiti #Spraypaint #toiletpapercrisis #graffitisapiens #globalstreetart #elgraffiti
A post shared by Eme Freethinker (@eme_freethinker) on Apr 12, 2020 at 2:26am PDT
Elsewhere around the world, street art has popped up to honor and thank the medical professionals risking everything to care for patients infected with COVID-19.
One wall in Melbourne, Australia has now become an homage to the “frontline heroes” in medical facilities, bearing the weight of the world as they battle the coronavirus.
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FRONTLINE HEROES we @melbournesmurals would like to say a massive THANK YOU to all medics who are out there fighting the fight. Please share this mural to all your frontline working friends to say thank you #covid_19 #blackrock #mural #streetart #heroes #thankyou #doctors #nurses #angel #fighting #world #crisis #graffiti #handpainted #mural #worldstreetart #isolation #stayhome #saveslives #urbanart #world #medical #protectyourself #australia #melbourne #victoria 606 Balcombe Rd Blackrock
A post shared by Melbournes Murals (@melbournesmurals) on Apr 18, 2020 at 10:39pm PDT
In London, professional street artist David Speed and the Graffiti Life collective produced this mural of a medical worker wearing a face mask, to express appreciation for the brave people working for the NHS (National Health Service).
AP Photo/Matt Dunham
Another artist based in England, Rachel List, has taken to the streets to express her gratitude for NHS workers by painting murals that burst with color and affection.
The mural in this Instagram image portrays a masked medical worker as an angel with rainbow wings.
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#nhs #nhsmural #art #PPE #art #artist #yorkshiremuralartist #wings #rainbow #love #thankyounhs #quaranteam_streetart
A post shared by Rachel West /list (@rachthepachel) on Apr 21, 2020 at 3:44am PDT
What a beautiful way for artists around the world to connect with their neighbors and show their love for local businesses and essential workers. Have you seen any new street art in your community?
#News #StreetArt #SanFrancisco #Happy&Inspirational #Artists
