WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) — An explosion of colors, characters and visions is changing the landscape of the city this week as POW! WOW! Worcester artists use the exterior walls of schools and other buildings as their personal canvas.
The 33 artists came from all over the world to take part in the annual mural festival, looking to brighten up the city.
Chicago artist Max Sansing’s mural at Chandler Elementary School depicts someone familiar to people in both Worcester and Chicago.
“It’s a mural of Major Taylor. He was a championship bicyclist in the early half of the (last) century,” he said. “He actually has connections of being a resident of Worcester and Chicago, Illinois, around where I stay at, on the South Side.”
Mr. Sansing said he was familiar with the story of Major Taylor before he joined the POW! WOW! Worcester lineup.
“It was just a perfect connection,” he said. “We always like to put some type of spotlight on local heroes.”
Major Taylor, a world renowned bicycle racer, grew up in Indiana and moved to Worcester as a teen in 1895. He was the second African-American world champion in any sport and was inducted posthumously into the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame. He spent his final years in Chicago, where he is buried.
Jake Merten, also from Chicago, created an anime-style mural at Clark Street Elementary School.
“I have been into anime since I was a little kid, always drew that. I started painting about six years ago and it sort of naturally came out,” he said. “I continue to do it and push it because adults, kids, so many different demographics can connect to it, relate to it, or at least get some reaction from it, whether they are into that kind of art or not, which really the beauty of all street art and public murals is to evoke a reaction, get people to think, get the community to talk about something new and start the discussion.”
Mr. Merten said he has enjoyed his stay in Worcester.
“Worcester is a really, really cool town,” he said. “Everyone has been receptive to the art and receptive to the art being here. It’s been really, really enjoyable.”
Several artists worked on murals on various sides of Clark Street Elementary School, including a Worcester artist, Lukas Therien, whose artist name is Stickipictures. His three-dimensional painting can be found behind the school.
“It’s like an old-school 3-D kind of style,” he said.
Artists worked at eight schools in Worcester, in some cases adding to what was there from last year’s mural festival. At Chandler Magnet Elementary School, three teams of artists were working simultaneously Wednesday. On one wall, Japanese-born artist Risa Tochigi, known as Risa Boogie, and Korean artist Johee Park, known as Stickymonger, worked on one wall, creating Stickymonger’s anime-type painting of two girls painting a scene of beach, ocean and clouds.
“It expresses everyone who loves to paint like that to the end of the world,” Stickymonger explained.
Boogie said she enjoys getting together with other artists from around the world to share their work.
“It becomes like this whole fun like family. We get to share what we like to do and we get to spread it to everybody and show the process of what we do,” she said.
Also working at the school was Erik Nasinnyk of Oxford, Aaron “Woes” Martin of Hawaii and Dragon76 of Tokyo.
At Worcester Arts Magnet School, Worcester artist Hank VonHellion created something all the children there could relate to.
“Winnie-the-Pooh is a very sort of wholesome, kind-hearted character, and really I think for me it is really about the relationship between Winnie-the-Pooh and Christopher Robin,” he said. “They’re both clearly a little insane; they both have their issues. They cause each other problems, but they care for each other and accept each other for who they are. I thought that would be a good message for the kids.”
POW! WOW! artists also worked on other public and private properties.
At the YWCA of Central Massachusetts, artist Sydney James created a beautiful mural of an African-American woman.
“It is called ‘Reformation.’ It is really about the state of black women in this country and especially in the world,” she said. “It’s how I see them, which is beautiful, strong and profound.”
Around the corner at the Worcester Public Library, a Los Angeles-based street artist created an alphabet in a font he regularly uses.
“It’s on the public library and I heard the typewriter was invented about a mile and a half away, so I wanted to do this piece for those two reasons,” he said. “For me as an artist, what it is saying is this is my palette — I am a writer. I do word-based art, therefore this is what I am faced with every day. It’s only 23 feet, but the possibilities are infinite and that’s what this represents to me.”
Pedro “Spear” Torres from Puerto Rico, who learned artwork in Worcester, beginning as a graffiti artist, created a painting on the side of the Paul Leahy Youth Services Center on Belmont Street. It illustrates the island of Puerto Rico as a woman waving goodbye to people who are leaving because of the difficult situation there. Mr. Torres said he was forced to leave the island after Hurricane Maria hit last fall, devastating the economy, leaving many out of work and without power for months.
POW! WOW! Worcester will continue through Saturday, with associated events, such as a Design and Makers Lab that took place at Worcester PopUp on Wednesday. But the murals will remain to be enjoyed through the year by Worcester residents and visitors.
(Copyright (c) 2024 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)