"Howard Drew," by Eric Okdeh
Eric Okdeh, a muralist based in Philadelphia, has been creating public art since 1998. After earning his BFA in painting from Tyler School of Art, Eric dedicated himself to socially engaged public art. His multimedia projects tackle challenging subjects like gambling, addiction, mass incarceration, and destigmatizing mental illness. Eric has completed over 150 public art commissions across the northeastern United States, as well as murals in Hawaii, Spain, Jordan, and Norway. His work has been featured in seven books on public art.This mural celebrates the remarkable life of Springfield’s own Howard Drew. In 1912, Howard Drew was the first person given the title of "World's Fastest Human." He competed in the 1912 US Olympic Track Team. He served in WW1 and then pursued higher education at UCLA, graduating from law school. In 1920, he became a practicing attorney in Connecticut, one of only four black lawyers in the state at the time. Drew made history as Connecticut's first black judge and served on the local draft board during World War II. He met Booker T. Washington and was featured on the cover of the July 1915 edition of the NAACP's Crisis magazine. Drew consistently made headlines, setting numerous world records in athletics, excelling in various sports, and achieving remarkable success in his career and scholarship.IG: okdehmuralsThis mural is located at 85 Harrison St.
"Home Here/En Casa," by GoodSpace Murals 2019
Home, Here / En Casa was created by GoodSpace Murals and more than residents and neighbors of this apartment complex. “The mural is based on community conversations that we had with residents in the Chestnut Towers community room. We also had a photo shoot of the residents so we could incorporate them into the design. From those conversations, we got the sense of how much of a home this place is, more so than just an apartment complex, or Section 8 housing, or downtown housing. This is a community that takes care of each other. And since so many of the residents are Puerto Rican, an important theme is their pride in being Puerto Rican.” - Greta McLainGreta McLain is the Artistic Director of GoodSpace and has over 15 years of mural making experience focused on exploring the ways that art can bring communities together, the power of visual language to activate voice, and the potential of art as a vehicle for hands-on organizing and educating. She traveled to South America and Europe to study new and traditional techniques and has created community murals across the US and in Argentina, Mexico, Cuba and France. This mural was painted using the GoodSpace Murals method of community-engaged mural makingIG: @goodspacemuralsThis mural is located at 75 Dwight St.
"Travis Best," by Damien Mitchell, 2019
This mural pays tribute to NBA player Travis Best, who grew up and continues to live, in Springfield MA. Damian created this mural based on photographs he took of Travis Best, a Springfield native and current resident who played for many years in the NBA.Damien is originally from Australia but now resides in Brooklyn. He started his street art career focused on stencil art, and this aesthetic continues to influence his larger-scale free-hand work. Damien has painted murals across the US, Latin America, Europe, and Australia. “It's been awesome to paint this mural here. While I have been painting this mural, it became a place for people to meet each other and develop connections and a sense of common understanding.” - Damien MitchellIG: @damien__mitchellThis mural is located at 159 State St.
"Hope is Welcome Here, " by Wane One, 2019
Wane One has been an active and progressive participant in the NYC graffiti community for almost 40 years, since 1983 when he was 13. Wane has painted more than 40 public murals in New York City, and numerous other cities in the US, Germany, Sweden, Canada, South Africa, Australia, Denmark, France, Norway, and China. His work has been shown in more than 20 solo and group gallery exhibits around the world, and he is featured in 30 books and numerous magazines.This mural was designed and painted in collaboration with residents at the Friends of the Homeless Shelter. FOH provides meals and temporary housing to more than 1,200 people each year and helps shelter guests find work and permanent homes, navigate state and federal assistance programs, access behavioral and mental health supports, and address other obstacles to sustainable independence. They provide three community meals 365 days a year to anyone needing food, serving over 150,000 meals a year. The Worthington Street campus also includes 110 low-income housing units.IG: @waneonecodThis mural is located at 755 Worthington St.
"Victory," by Andrae and Priya Green, 2019
Victory features two pageant girls. Usually, only one person wins a pageant, but in this case, they have both won and hold hands in their moment of shared victory.Priya Nadkarni-Green and Andrae Green are married painters with backgrounds in studio fine art. They normally work on canvases but had the opportunity to create a mural for the festival in Springfield. Living in the city and raising their children here, they wanted to create an image of hope. Andrae Green has an MFA in Painting and his works have been exhibited internationally. Priya Nadkarni Green holds an MFA in Painting and has exhibited nationally.IG: @andraegreenestudiosIG: @ummmpriyaThis mural is located at 24 Taylor St.
"Geoutopia," by Kim Carlino 2019
Kim describes herself as an interventionist, mining the space between painting and drawing. She explores the evolutionary nature of mark-making and relationships between color, geometry, line, and form. Her work playfully employs shifts of scale and illusion in hopes of finding balance and unity in disparate elements. Kim’s work is represented in several galleries, and she has done public murals across MA and New York City.“I work with geometric abstraction and improvisation. I wanted to do something like this in Springfield because I wanted to bring a sense of color, vibrancy, and playfulness. This mural is one big riff on itself. I start from one place and then all the other elements develop in relation to the one before. When I have been painting, everybody wants to come up to me and talk to me about their experience with art and creativity, and that’s exactly what this mural is about. It's a celebration of imagination. And I think that's the power of an abstract mural - it can become different things to each person.” - Kim CarlinoIG: @kimcarlinoartThis mural is located at Stearns Square
"The Artist," by Jeff Henriquez 2021
Jeff Henriquez is a New York City-based artist specializing in photorealistic painting. Jeff gained recognition in the gallery scene through his large-scale monochrome portraits depicting the homeless and displaced. Over the past 20 years, Jeff has been actively painting murals across NYC, Massachusetts, and the country.The Artist features a young Black girl dressed as a European aristocrat, assuming the role of a painter in front of a canvas, referencing the history of European fine art. Notably, the girl holds a spray can, symbolizing street art, and has incorporated spray-painted lettering on her canvas, prominently displaying the word "Worthy." Jeff's intention with this piece is to provoke contemplation on the lack of inclusivity in fine art throughout history, as well as asserting that American-born art and street art are equally deserving of recognition as fine art. Jeff's design also aims to amplify and integrate the message of the BLM mural created in 2020 by 16 local artists. Jeff's composition communicates that their efforts and the underlying message are also worthy.This mural was partially painted using the GoodSpace Murals method of community-engaged mural makingIG: @jeffhenriquezartThis mural is located at 232 Worthington St.
"Splash," by Stash 2021
Stash, a renowned figure in urban design and street art, has made significant contributions to the field for over 30 years. His murals are celebrated worldwide, and his work can be found in galleries across the United States. Stash's talent extends beyond painting, as he is also recognized for street photography and design collaborations with notable brands like Nike, Burton, Medicom Toy, and A Bathing Ape.Born in Long Island, New York in 1967, Stash emerged as a legend in New York's street art scene, particularly in the East Village graffiti movement of the early 1980s. At just 17 years old, he showcased his first canvases alongside influential pop art figures Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Unlike his peers who transitioned to Pop Art, Stash remained dedicated to subway art, continuing to work on trains until 1987. He played a crucial role in popularizing and legitimizing graffiti, ultimately leading to its public acceptance. Notably, Stash became the first non-athlete to collaborate professionally with Nike, designing street-art-inspired clothing.In 2021, Stash created this seemingly simple yet meaningful exploration of color which also pays homage to graffiti, an art form created by urban youth in the late 1970s and early 1980s, which has now spread worldwide and become integrated into urban design, music, and graphic design.This mural was partially painted using the GoodSpace Murals method of community-engaged mural makingIG: mr_stashThis mural is located at 228 Worthington St.
"They Leave Even if They Don't Want to," Colectivo Morivivi 2019
Colectivo Moriviví is a group of women muralists based in Santurce, Puerto Rico. They are known for creating collaborative murals with community groups that address social justice, the human condition, and Puerto Rican identity. Their work extends beyond Puerto Rico, with murals in Springfield, Holyoke, New York, Buffalo, Chicago, China, and Tasmania.These two interconnected murals are titled "Ellos se van con el éxodo aunque no se quieren ir / They leave, even if they don't want to." The mural on Taylor Street imagines the view and thoughts of someone looking out the window of a plane leaving Puerto Rico. The mural on Hampden Street shows a scene of a Puerto Rican family making a new home for themselves here in Western Mass, surrounded by things that connect them to their past on the island.IG: @colectivo_moriviviThese murals are located at 2 Taylor St. and 9 Hampden St.
"They Leave Even if They Don't Want to," Colectivo Morivivi 2019
Colectivo Moriviví is a group of women muralists based in Santurce, Puerto Rico. They are known for creating collaborative murals with community groups that address social justice, the human condition, and Puerto Rican identity. Their work extends beyond Puerto Rico, with murals in Springfield, Holyoke, New York, Buffalo, Chicago, China, and Tasmania.These two interconnected murals are titled "Ellos se van con el éxodo aunque no se quieren ir / They leave, even if they don't want to." The mural on Taylor Street imagines the view and thoughts of someone looking out the window of a plane leaving Puerto Rico. The mural on Hampden Street shows a scene of a Puerto Rican family making a new home for themselves here in Western Mass, surrounded by things that connect them to their past on the island.IG: @colectivo_moriviviThese murals are located at 2 Taylor St. and 9 Hampden St.
"Out Now Students Speak," by Mimi Ditkoff, 2021
This mural was designed and painted in collaboration with members of Out Now, inspired by their participation in the Students Speak project. Students Speak is a project organized by the Education Law Clinic of Harvard Law School dedicated to school improvement through learning from students’ own experiences about how to create better schools. Out Now, based in Springfield, is a 22 and under, youth led, adult advised, queer youth organization that works to promote harm reduction, self-determination, and community building through anti-oppression organizing.The mural was painted by Mimi Ditkoff, in collaboration with members of Out Now. Mimi is a graduate of the Community Mural Institute. This mural was painted using the GoodSpace Murals method of community engaged mural making. Learn more about GoodSpace Murals hereIG: @m0mi_artThis mural is located at 1716 Main St.
"These Colors Don't Run" by Muraleslian, 2023
Lian has been working as a public artist in Europe for over 20 years. Her mural “Rederas” painted in the Basque region of Northern Spain was voted 3rd best mural in the world in 2022.This is the largest Pride mural in New England (at least). “The focus of this mural is the members of Out Now, and their work to create connection, solidarity and advocacy for queer youth & allies,” said Lian.Out Now is a youth-led, adult-advised, queer youth organization that works to promote harm reduction, self-determination, and community building through anti-oppression organizing. In 2021 and 2022, Out Now partnered with CommonWealth Murals (CWM) to create 2 small murals about queer youth's power, resilience, and ability to dream of a brighter future for themselves and everyone in and around our community.The mural is based on a photograph by Isabella Dell’olio.IG: muraleslianThis mural is located at 1695 Main St.
"Springfield Sanctuary," by Ryan Murray 2019
Stencils, like other forms of street art, demand attention and tackle challenging subjects. In my work, I explore abandoned buildings, streets, and the underrepresentation of mental health in African-American communities. I aim to spark important conversations and uncover hidden beauty. However, for this Union Station mural, I focused on Springfield's role in the Underground Railroad. It's crucial to preserve the city's history amidst ongoing urban development. Springfield historically provided refuge and actively resisted the Fugitive Slave Act. Sadly, much of this history has been destroyed or neglected. By highlighting forgotten figures like Primus Mason and questioning the commemoration of William Pynchon, we aim to shed light on our shared past and guide our future." - Ryan MurrayRyan is an artist and muralist based in Springfield and a graduate of the Community Mural Institute. He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Carnegie Mellon University in 2014 and has since been dedicated to addressing the stigma surrounding mental health issues in the Black community through his artwork. Ryan's impactful contributions have been recognized, as he is a recipient of grants from the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation and Mass Cultural Council, further supporting his important work.IG: @rywandojones.This mural is located in Union Station.
"Dr. Seuss in Springfield," by John Simpson 2019
Holyoke artist John Simpson painted a mural in honor of Springfield's own Theodore Geisel, widely known as Dr. Seuss. Susan Riano, a Springfield artist, assisted John with the mural. John's intention was to showcase Springfield's influence on Dr. Seuss's inspiration. The mural also features the Fairfield Street House where Dr. Seuss grew up, located next to Forest Park. References to the Howard Street Armory and Loring Street are depicted, relating to Dr. Seuss's works. Furthermore, Dr. Seuss's grandparents' bakery near Main and Howard Street, situated across from a gas plant, possibly sparked his consciousness about pollution and the environment.John, an art professor at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, has collaborated with the City of Springfield, Quadrangle Museums, and Symphony Hall on various art displays. He painted all of the wall murals in the Dr. Seuss Museum and several additional murals in SpringfieldIG: @johnsimpsonartThis mural is located at 4 State St.
