How Community Murals Promote Advocacy

Turning neighborhoods into canvases have been practiced for thousands of years now. Since the Paleolithic period, people have been painting the walls and ceilings--which transforms the view and creates exciting communities.

"Murals build a sense of community, they make it more welcoming and walkable, and they make you want to go there," said a mural artist, Grace McCammond. This is an observation from our initial impression of murals, which are always its aesthetic and emotional aspects. However, murals are also used to express social concerns, such as peace, justice, and equality.

Dialogue Through Art

Art can be a catalyst for change. The visual journey the murals provide are projections of human experience. These are the stories of the past depicted through several forms of painting. Most murals in a particular period are about history. The reason is it evokes powerful emotions, and these emotions are communicated to incoming generations to solidify principles or create new ones.

One prime example is The Great Wall of Los Angeles, led by Judith Baca, an activist from the 1970s. This half-mile long mural painting depicts California's origins and highlights the textbook marginalization of minorities from some ethnicities, races, and genders in their time. This art serves as a window from our past, which will continue to engage its residents and tourists for centuries. Educational institutions, families, and any other unit in Los Angeles's community will never get past this cultural landmark. A perfect example of reverberating dialogue through generations expressed through art.

Future of Murals and Movements

In this age of technology, digitalization is dominating almost every industry, even the arts. Opinions on art versus technology are rising. But, as we can see, it only improves along with it. Art and its stories are being swiftly passed around, with the help of the internet. The gap between ancient art and technology is an illusion. Organizations and individuals can now strengthen charity and development causes with simple online transactions—e.g., social media campaigns. For instance, a street art initiative in Los Angeles has reached lots of people's hearts inspired by the mural adorning led by Arts Bridging The Gap.

Shane Perry, a business specialist from Max Funding Australia, observed the surge of enterprises that revolve around community engagements through arts, performance, craftsmanship. He emphasized, "There are selfless individuals and groups whose visions are aligned to the overall betterment of humanity. These stories are inspiring, and we highly encourage causes like these. Funding businesses with altruistic attributes has always been fulfilling for loan companies like us."

To join these causes, you don't need power and prestige. All you need is the initiative. If you are interested in our immersive art programs, join us here.

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Written By: Mitchell Samuel

Mitchell Samuel is an Australian freelance writer.  He has a passion for learning about global changes in business culture and specializes in entrepreneurship and innovation-related topics. When Mitchell isn’t at his desk, you’ll find him exploring National Parks.