It seems as if we hear one depressing pandemic update after another, but there is a silver lining to that dark cloud. In the San Francisco Bay Area, artists are going out to paint murals on the shuttered storefronts of the empty streets, bars, and restaurants.
Plywood planks are what is typically seen as the storefronts are boarded up, but now those planks are turned into a canvas for artists in the Bay Area. There is even a new initiative, known as Paint the Void, that is trying to pair the artists with shuttered businesses that could use a little brightening up.
One artist in the Hayes Valley area of San Francisco has covered a boarded-up storefront with bright painted flowers. It would have been a rather drab entryway but he made bright and cheerful.
The first post by Paint the Void was captioned: “Rather than allowing the plywood to highlight fear and uncertainty we want to decorate our streets with art to reflect an optimistic perspective. Art helps us contextualize our life experience.”
“We thought that beautifying the streets with murals would be a good place for people who are still working the frontlines and getting out there every day,” Meredith Winner, organizer of Paint the Void, told Real Simple. “We wanted to bring hope into the community and inspire people.”
Another example is what we see outside of the Dogpatch Saloon. Imagine seeing this every day when you were walking the block to get some exercise. The mural was posted to Instagram, and it shows Pres. Franklin D Roosevelt next to a variation of his quote: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
Along with beautifying the city, Paint the Void is also raising money to help artists who are suffering financially because of the pandemic.
This is happening places outside of San Francisco as well. In Seattle, storefronts are getting a beautiful makeover with murals showing up on coffee shops, pizzerias, pubs, and other businesses.
Kate Blackstock and Frida Clements are local artists who painted a natural scene over the boards covering up Tractor Tavern, a music venue in Seattle. Slate reports that the venue’s owner asked Blackstone to do the artwork and she agreed.
“It was so jarring and heartbreaking to see all these businesses boarded up,” Blackstone told Slate. “I was excited to be able to put some love on one of the places where I feel most at home.”
Glynn Rosenberg is another artist in Seattle that has painted a number of storefronts with beautiful flowers and inspiring messages, such as “until next time” and “see you soon.” She told Slate about the importance of street art now that so many people are living in isolation.
“Bringing artists to the street increases access to art,” she explained to Slate. “The pandemic has made existing inequity more extreme, so it is really important to serve the community in whatever capacity we are capable.”
Businesses on Seattle’s Capitol Hill, including Capital Coffee Works, is now home to a unique and beautiful piece of art.
Pony Wave created a mural on Venice Beach with spray paint, reminding residents to “stay safe.”
Another area of Los Angeles has a painting of soldiers fighting the pandemic armed with toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and cleaning supplies.
The mural by Hijack Art was photographed and posted to the artist’s Instagram page, captioned: “As humans, we like to think we are in charge of our own corner of the universe. But every now and then a microscopic entity reminds us that we are not.”
Austin Zucchini-Fowler is a street artist in Denver who created the “wall of gratitude” in honor of hospitality heroes.
You can see the picture on his Instagram page with the words: “It’s gonna all be okay.”
Germany’s capital city, Berlin, is also home to some street art inspired by the pandemic. A mural by Eme Freethinker shows Gollum from “The Lord of the Rings” looking at a roll of toilet paper.
Street art has been showing up in many areas around the world to thank medical professionals and those who are on the frontlines fighting COVID-19.
That includes this wall in Melbourne, Australia:
David Speed is a street artist professional in London who produced a mural of a medical worker wearing a face mask. He wanted to express his appreciation for the people working for the National Health Service.
Rachel List is another artist in England who expresses her gratitude for NHS workers through her mural paintings.
This mural posted to Instagram shows a masked medical worker with an angel and rainbow wings.
It’s always nice when we see people coming together to fight a difficult situation, and this is one of the most difficult we’ve seen in decades.