Mural Arts Goes to Wynwood

Kenny Scharf retouching his mural at Wynwood Walls

Having skipped Art Basel last year, I was determined to see and do everything. I failed miserably. Partially because there is so much going on and the art fairs are now so spread out, but mostly because I could not pull myself away from everything going on in the Wynwood neighborhood, where every year, hundreds of muralists gather to paint during Art Fair Week. The hub of Wynwood is Wynwood Walls, a park and outdoor mural museum created by Goldman Properties.

For three days I walked the streets of Wynwood and the Design District, running into artists I knew and meeting new ones. Some were working on pieces commissioned by the Goldmans for their properties, but many artists were there on their own steam, painting elaborate pieces negotiated with merely a handshake with a building owner.

Pixelpancho and MTO at Jose De Diego Middle School

The most exciting project I came upon was at the Jose De Diego Middle School. Coordinated by Robert de los Rios of WynwoodMap.com and Patrick Walsh of the Wynwood Arts District Association, the school was covered inside and out with murals by more than 30 artists, both locally and internationally renowned, including Nychos, Pixel Pancho, Reka, and Anthony Lister.

Nychos at Jose De Diego Middle School

James Reka at Jose De Diego Middle School

Magnus Sodamin at Jose De Diego Middle School

Visiting Miami, particularly Wynwood, is always inspiring. It’s a chance to see work by artists Mural Arts has worked with, such as Kenny Scharf and Haas&Hahn, as well as to be inspired and find new artists. I’m already looking forward to next year.

Photos by Brian Campbell