Facebook- Paint Memphis
site of future mural on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue
The nonprofit group, Paint Memphis, is calling artists to participate in its annual one-day paint festival.
This will be the fourth annual Paint Memphis festival, where local and regional artists work together to create a collaborative mural. This year the theme is “Dream Bigger,” in honor of the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination.
Set for Saturday, Sept. 29th, the event will take place around Paint Memphis’ office near MLK Jr. Avenue and Danny Thomas. Selected painters, writers, and muralists will be given a primed wall, a ladder, and paint to create their artwork. There will also be live music and food trucks.
To participate, artists must submit an application, along with photos of three work samples, on Paint Memphis’ website no later than Sunday, July, 15th. Selected artists will be notified by Wednesday, Aug. 1st.
While Paint Memphis says the festival is open to artists anywhere, a preference will be given to local applicants.
Justin Fox Burks
Karen Golightly, director of Paint Memphis with zombie mural city council members called ‘satanic.’
Earlier this year, several of Paint Memphis’s murals, like one of a Zombie at Willett and Lamar, drew criticism from Memphis City Council members, who referred to the artwork as “satanic.”
After heated discussions with Paint Memphis’ director Karen Golightly, the council voted to remove six murals they considered offensive, but city workers ended up unintentionally removing seven of the wrong murals. And the zombie, which is painted on private property remains for now.
This year, Paint Memphis is asking for resident feedback before any murals go up. Through an online survey, residents can indicate what kind of artwork they’d like to see and what kinds they don’t. This is to ensure the “mural reflects this neighborhood and its residents.” Residents can also stop by the future mural site at 711 MLK Jr. Avenue to leave a suggestion.
In addition to Paint Memphis’ policy of not allowing artists to paint nudity, profanity, obscenities, drug, or gang imagery, the property owner is asking that there is nothing related to guns, other weapons, or politics.
