12 Reasons to Hire a Muralist
Murals can create a unique and engaging experience - Murals break traditional boundaries of art in terms of scale and accessibility, which can make it fun to experience. Interactive art can also be more relatable and less intimidating than the fine art we see in museums and galleries. Murals that use a location’s unique qualities or dimensions to create an engaging experience can give people a different perspective or appreciation of art.
Murals can encourage people to explore and travel - Have you ever visited a town that had street art or public art installations? Art can enhance traveling experiences when a visitor is in a new place for the first time. Murals are a great way to encourage travelers to visit your area, especially if there is a hot spot of various street art, or murals completed by well-known artists. Pictures not only make great souvenirs, but people are more likely to spend time making plans to visit and explore areas that have easily accessible public art.
Murals make great photo opportunities - You don't have to search hard online before you get social media envy of a friend that posted a cool new photo. If people search the internet for “things to do” or “murals near me” naturally people will be drawn to photos of things to do, and murals make great photo opportunities. Don’t be surprised if you come across local photographers using the mural painting as a backdrop for professional photos. And everyone needs a new selfie for the gram!
Murals help improve the quality of life - Just like parks and recreation, or good school districts, public murals are a great way to improve the quality of life for locals. Murals often beautify public spaces and create a place where people enjoy visiting often. Murals can be a hidden jewel, intriguing viewers who might stumble upon street art in a common alleyway. Cities with street art done by famous muralists, such as Banksy, can definitely give a town some creative clout and bragging rights.
Murals increase foot traffic and support the local economy - Whether you commission a mural for a high traffic area, or use a mural to bring foot traffic to a more remote area, murals can bring a lot of attention to a space - both during the installation and after. It’s not uncommon for some murals in populated cities, like this Nashville mural, to have a line of people waiting for a photo op. If you have a mural near local shops, it may also encourage people to support local businesses nearby, or help to highlight businesses that may not have been as noticeable before.
Murals can help create a sense of community, pride, belonging, or spreading positivity - Everybody can think of one town that they love - whether it’s a hometown or destination. Hiring a muralist is a great way for a community to share the town’s history or things they love about their town. Murals can bring people together, celebrate diversity, tell a story, or become an extension of a town’s hospitality or culture. Murals are also a great way for a city to create a sense of place, and build a city’s brand as a destination.
Murals can inspire and teach students and young adults about careers in the arts - There is a “starving artist” stigma that all careers in the arts are dead. But not all creative jobs in the arts require painting skills. Technology has opened a new wave of creative career paths. Painting is one part of muralist’s career - there are other skills that mural painting can help develop, such as project management, sales or marketing. Partnering with a muralist can open up opportunities for local students to gain skills and hands on work experience in the art industry.
Murals can shape culture and accessibility- Have you ever visited an artsy town? We all can think of at least one that comes to mind. Murals, art installations, festivals, concerts, galleries and museums, shops with hand-crafted goods - all of these things are typical of a place that has a strong culture of art and creativity. But not all forms of art are inclusive or accessible. Public murals are a fantastic example of removing barriers for people to experience art. Public art is free art. And with more efforts to incorporate conversations of accessibility alongside mural design, public art can be intentional and inclusive of all abilities and backgrounds.
Murals are good for businesses - Murals may be an incentive for entrepreneurs to take advantage of business opportunities by filling empty storefronts. Murals can increase the property value of a building or surrounding buildings. Murals can also be a creative alternative to storefront signage, and they are a great way to help organically market or build brand awareness.
Murals support jobs - It can take a team, sometimes an army of people to install a mural. Mural artists not only are typically small business owners themselves, but they often hire additional contract work or employ local services to help complete their mural projects, such as: wall preparation, purchasing project insurance, installing vinyl mural designs, or renting nearby equipment for large scale murals. Manufactured artwork that is bought from a large retail store doesn’t have near as much of a local impact. If you are thinking about hiring a muralist for a project in your town, you can even work with the artist to recommend local vendors to support small businesses directly.
Murals can encourage people to get outdoors - Whether a town has a trail of murals, or just one, outdoor murals can motivate people to get outdoors and go on an art walk! Placing a mural near a park or playground might encourage people to be more active or get more exercise. The benefit of large scale art is that people can see it from far away. Anyone that sees a mural from a distance might be motivated to venture out of their way to discover the art up close, adding to those daily step goals.
Murals help fight the stigma of graffiti street art - Some people may have a negative perspective of street art because of its association with graffiti and vandalism. Murals can be used to change negative perceptions of street art. Areas that may have been subject to vandalism can use murals and street art as a form of graffiti cover up to reclaim or beautify a space that otherwise might be an eyesore. Graffiti artwork and application techniques can be very advanced, especially when working with a complex medium such as spray paint. Experienced graffiti artists can be highly sought after for commissions. And graffiti art continues to remain a key part of contemporary art and urban culture.