Fresh Paint Springfield Mural Festival Begins This Weekend

SPRINGFIELD — The Fresh Paint Springfield mural festival will begin this weekend with the painting of seven new murals downtown and in Mason Square, kicking off with two Paint Parties open to the community on Saturday, Sept. 10 from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Mason Square Library, 765 State St., and on Sunday, Sept. 11 from noon to 2 p.m. at Gerena Elementary School, 200 Birnie Ave.

The 2022 Fresh Paint festival will run from Sept. 10 to Sept. 18. Two of the murals being painted are recreations of murals by the late Nelson Stevens, AfriCOBRA member, who directed the painting of more than 30 Springfield murals during the 1970s.

An Artist Talk open to the public will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 13 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Gasoline Alley, 250 Albany St.. This event will feature the professional muralists who are participating in Fresh Paint 2022 and provides the community an opportunity to learn from artists who travel the world and make a living with public art. A reception open to all will follow the talk.

Muralists will be working daily from Sept. 10 to Sept. 18 on the seven new murals in Metro Center, the North End, and Mason Square.

The recreation of two of Stevens’ murals will be completed by participants of the Community Mural Institute. A commemoration and mural ribbon cutting for the Stevens murals will be held on Saturday, Sept. 24 from 1 to 3 p.m., starting at 1 Montrose St. and ending at 38 Catharine St.

Locations and muralists as follows:

• Colectivo Morivivi, an all-women artistic collective from Puerto Rico, and Justin Suarez from Rochester, N.Y. will be painting at Gerena Elementary School, 200 Birnie Ave.

• Pablo Kalaka, who is Chelean by birth and Venezuelan by upbringing, will be painting at State and Sherman streets and at South End Middle School, 36 Margaret St.

• MuralesLian, originally from East Bridgewater and now living in Spain, will be painting at the New North Citizens Council Youth Center, 4 Birnie Ave.

• Artists from the Community Mural Institute, led by Greta McLain of GoodSpace Murals, will be recreating two historic murals painted in 1973 by Nelson Stevens at 1 Montrose St. and Catharine and State streets.

For more information, visit www.freshpaintspringfield.com.