Local artists, over the course of nine days, will transform barren walls into murals in Roxbury as part of BLKOUT Walls, a mural-painting festival aimed at uplifting BIPOC artists and communities.
The event “honors the transformative power of public art and the voices of Black, Brown, and allied muralists from across the country,” according to a BLKOUT Walls press release.
The festivities will culminate in a neighborhood block party at the Cooper Community Center on Sept. 27, featuring live music and an artist meet-and-greet.
“It’s an opportunity for folks that normally aren’t exposed to public art to get exposed to public art, and for young people to be involved in the process of mural making, which is a beautiful and incredible and difficult art,” Laura Milanes, the festival’s executive producer, said.
Five large-scale murals, painted with the hopes of beautifying walls and drawing in tourists, will soon be scattered throughout Roxbury, according to the press release.
All the art is produced by Black artists, including BLKOUT Walls Founder Sydney James.
In 2021, after attending a mural festival where “she was the only person of color,” Milanes said, James collaborated with Thomas “Detour” Evans and Max Sansing to kick off the first BLKOUT Walls mural festival in Detroit. It has since become a biannual celebration.
Boston-based artist Rob “ProBlak” Gibbs participated in the inaugural festival. Raised in Roxbury, Gibbs played a key role in garnering support for the project from neighbors and the City of Boston’s Arts and Culture office.
“He really wanted us to bring this experience to Boston and expose local Boston artists to it but also invite traveling artists to come and engage with local Boston artists to deliver this really cool and unique experience,” Milanes said. “We’ve been really welcomed by the community.”
Organizers have prioritized engaging with local business owners, nonprofits and owners of the now-embellished walls, Milanes said.
Two featured artists are Roxbury high school teachers, and the theme for the festival, “A Beautiful Resistance,” was inspired by the title of local journalist Jeneé Osterheldt’s Boston Globe column.
“What we leave behind is part of the community,” Milanes said. “It has to speak to the community.”