After over 200 artist-submitted applications, work has begun for the "Pittsburgh Solidarity for Change" project, including a colorful John Lewis mural in Uptown. Kyle Holbrook, executive artist with the MLK Mural Project, in collaboration with Carlow University Social Justice Institutes, selected 30 artists into the new program, with each piece of art having a lead artist and assistant artists contributing.
Zim Syed, who has been painting for the last couple of years, is the lead artist on the John Lewis piece at 1815 Locust Street, a wall donated by Mike King. Each of the ten murals — with messages about police brutality, systemic racism, and gun violence — will have a QR code that will direct those to a narrated piece by Paradise Gray, hip-hop legend and co-founder of 1Hood Media.
"This is just a continuation of that community unity that Pittsburgh has been so popular for in the last 20 years that I've seen with my own eyes," says Gray. "These murals are just a manifestation of the possibilities of that growing brotherhood of people."
The community is welcome to contribute their own messages on scheduled days for each piece.
"The murals are about solutions," said Holbrook. "Trump and Biden supporters are welcome to come if they'd like. No matter who's elected, we're really going to have to work together to make change."
More information can be found on MLKMural.com.
CP Photo: Jared Wickerham
Adrie Rose, program assistant for Carlow University Social Justice Institutes, Zim Syed, lead artist, and Kyle Holbrook, executive artist with MLK Mural Project, pose for a portrait in front of the John Lewis mural in Uptown.
Pittsburgh City Photos is sponsored by Tim Gyves, agent with RE/MAX Select Realty.
