Wide Open Walls Mural Festival Sacramento

[Map8]

2017 marks the second year of the Wide Open Walls mural festival using alleys or the sides of buildings that face parking lots as space for public art. In 2016 there were about 15 murals, this year there were over 40; most in downtown and midtown Sacramento. Makes for a great bicycle tour with plenty of good restaurants and pubs to stop at for refreshments. Great way to spend an evening or weekend afternoon. Its worth checking out for you Sacramento locals or anyone looking to enjoy some public art and sleepy midtown Sac. If you check out any of the murals, post up your favorites in this thread. I'd be happy to meet up because there are several I haven't seen yet.

WOW website including map of murals.

These are just iPhone pics because I didn't feel like dragging my DSLR around. All the murals are complete now and I'll probably add more pics to this thread. Hard to catch all of them in good light since the buildings face all different directions and have shadows from other buildings.

Watched this guy paint this one for a while. He was using an image on his phone for a reference and just painting everything freehand. No grid. Just incredible. :wow

 

[CoorsLight]

Amazing. Thanks for sharing this!

The artists page in there has so many cool photos.

 

[1sicv8]

This was such a good event this year. We looked at about 5 of the murals so far. There were a lot of great ones this year! My favorite is the bear mural.

 

[two wheel tramp]

This is awesome stuff!!!! I saw the woman in my Instagram feed. Gorgeous.

 

[zphreak]

Thanks for posting. Going to have to take a look as I'm walking around during lunch. R street has quite a bit in the last year.

 

[Mike95060]

Bad. Ass. Nice work city and artists.

 

[Surj]

Wow, rad. Thanks for sharing, Steve.

 

[Map8]

Braved the heat and smoke on Saturday to visit some more murals from the festival.

The bear that 1sicv8 mentioned. This was the official art of the festival. I love the California flag and this is a great homage.

Apology for the terrible shadows and bad highlights. This is four or five stories tall and borders a small parking lot between two buildings. I haven't been able to get there at the right time of day.

Love this tiger

Most dramatic and moving for me was this mural about the red and blue divide in our country. Note the detail in the arms, hands and rope. The halftone effect is made entirely of words across the entire mural.

---------

A couple from the 2016 festival.

My favorite from last year.

 

[Johndicezx9]

Wow, great stuff!

(Do they last? Like before they get graffiti'd up, vandalized, etc...)

 

[Map8]

All the murals from last year still look brand new and none of the ones I see regularly have been vandalized.

 

[Johndicezx9]

All the murals from last year still look brand new and none of the ones I see regularly have been vandalized.

:thumbup

 

[zphreak]

Where is the tug o war mural?

 

[Map8]

Where is the tug o war mural?

‪1810 28th Street - Across from Sac Food Co-op‬

 

[motomeek]

Nice!

 

[Surj]

‪1810 28th Street - Across from Sac Food Co-op‬

Rad.

Man, the coop has changed. Last time I was there, I was all bummed the coop was gone, and then found the new version.

 

[Johndicezx9]

Watched this guy paint this one for a while. He was using an image on his phone for a reference and just painting everything freehand. No grid. Just incredible. :wow

Is it me, or does that look like a young Carly Simon?

 

[Blankpage]

I assume that was all freehand. That is amazing talent

 

[Map8]

Bumping this thread because Wide Open Walls 2018 runs August 9th through 19th. Make plans to visit.

 

[Johndicezx9]

Cool.

 

[CocoLoco]

Thanks for the bump. I will be planning a day trip. :thumbup