July 30, 2020

How to find all the Black Lives Matter murals in Madison.

An excellent presentation of information using Google maps — here — marking the location of the murals with clickable icons to display a photo of the mural.

I got to that via "‘Crisis of expression and creativity:’ Mapping downtown Madison's Black Lives Matter murals" (Capital Times). Excerpt from the article:
When businesses boarded up their storefronts in the wake of ongoing protests against racism and police brutality, Karin Wolf of the Madison Arts Commission was tasked with finding a way to restore vibrancy to the street. Within 48 hours, Wolf gathered a coalition of artists to create murals on the plywood, giving very little direction other than to simply react and express their feelings through art....

In total, 84 artists painted 100 distinct murals on the half-mile stretch of State Street... Artists were paid a $250 commission for each mural to cover the cost of supplies. To receive the money, artists had to sign a form releasing the right of reproduction of the piece. Several artists said that they’re also hoping to receive royalties from business owners who choose to keep and display the murals, but are not sure how to navigate that process.
The process was navigated back when you signed away your rights for $250. But I'm not looking at the release. Maybe some artist-loving lawyers will help.
From the beginning, Wolf urged artists to approach their work with a “spirit of impermanence.”
You know, like the way you've already spent the $250. Gone! But there are photographs.
“In an ephemeral project, it’s the documentation that becomes the lasting product,” she said.
You know, the thing you don't own.
Wolf said that moving forward, she hopes people will invest in future art instead of fixating on these particular murals, which were never meant to last forever.
Meade texts "moving forward... how about moving Heg?"

(Last month, protesters moved a statue called “Forward” and another statue of Civil War hero Hans Christian Heg from their place of honor in the Wisconsin capitol square.)

39 comments:

Lucid-Ideas said...

It's easy, just look for the impressionist/abtuse/dadaist works that look like they were done by a 5 year old for a school project and designed to be hung on the refrigerator with a magnet.

Can't miss em.

Kevin said...

Everything is impermanent -- you gotta get what you can when you can -- is the fundamental philosophy of the collective.

Politically, this is couched in the language of "safety".

WK said...

Some of them are artistic. Some don’t seem to have used the full $250 on materials.....

Dave Begley said...

What if these fab pieces of art were defaced with antifa graffiti?

Liberals get the bullet too.

Ken B said...

Royalties from business owners for painting on their boarded up windows? Why not royalties for painting on the sunglasses of blinded federal agents or on the leg casts of motorists dragged from their cars and beaten?

Original Mike said...

"Several artists said that they’re also hoping to receive royalties from business owners who choose to keep and display the murals, but are not sure how to navigate that process."

The Mafia figured that out years ago.

Bill, Republic of Texas said...

"protesters moved"

You've got to be kidding me. Am I reading that right? Moved!?! The linked article says "toppled." How can one brain be so full of mush

Meade said...

Yeah, let’s Move [Heg and Forward] On.org!

wendybar said...

ALL lives matter...even babies in the womb.....

Ann Althouse said...

"You've got to be kidding me."

No, I've got to be explaining Meade's joke. Apparently, you're not in a jovial mood.

Owen said...

Prof. A: very nice demonstration of the deadpan ironic mode of writing. I particularly admire your introduction, at the end, of the way the “protesters” “moved” the statues. Into bold new contexts that challenge the old hierarchies! At no charge!

We really should consider how to help those protesters “navigate the process” between their continued presence at large in the community, and a future stay behind bars.

Fernandinande said...

"When businesses boarded up their storefronts ... the Madison Arts Commission was tasked with finding a way to restore vibrancy to the street."

Other than burned out buildings, what could be more indicative of vibrancy than boarded up windows?

Bars on the windows, perhaps. Well, bad murals, too, I guess.

Two words not in the article: "private" and "property".

those involved say they want to continue to uplift Black, Indigenous and people of color

It's nice for them that Madison Arts Commission sponsors their racism.

Sebastian said...

"restore vibrancy to the street"

Sure. Paint some pictures, and presto, vibrancy restored.

Come to think of it, why not do that everywhere, paint some pretty pictures to restore vibrancy to black neighborhoods devastated by increased violence, and to the economy as a whole devastated by oppressive shutdowns.

NCMoss said...

Sigh; so we're going to add "murals" to the list of mass media weasel-words?

Calypso Facto said...

The "art" should be auctioned with all proceeds going to the police department, just for the entertainment of watching Madison heads explode.

Left Bank of the Charles said...

If the artists only signed away the right to reproduction, they may still have the rights to the original. And I see from the picture in the article that Kenechi Unachukwu has staked a claim to his copyright.

Fernandinande said...

How to find all the Black Lives Matter murals in Madison.

One can replace "find" with "avoid".

Butkus51 said...

I take the hint that I dont think Id be very welcome in Madison anymore. Point taken.

GatorNavy said...

I would like one newspaper, pundit, columnist or any talking head on TV to first explain why the businesses had to put the plywood up in the first place. Then and only then we could have an honest discussion about this version of art. Until that happens, it is merely unsightly graffiti, nothing more.

TheOne Who Is Not Obeyed said...

Since the City paid for the supplies and the "artists" signed releases, those murals are city property, no? So why can't I just go down and destroy them as part of a "mostly peaceful" protest? If they arrest me, isn't the city practicing viewpoint discrimination? Can I sue and get lots of money so I can quit my job and be a professional "activist"?

I think that's how this all works for antifa/BLM types....

Dust Bunny Queen said...

So..a google map to find all the graffiti in Madison?

Similar to the poop map of San Francisco. You now know which areas to avoid.

Tim said...

Who cares?

Chris N said...

At Peace Pavilion West, all of our Community members are permitted to share messages of solidarity and inspiration on the walls of their ecopodments.

But PLEASE use the Community Walls in the Human Pagoda for public communication.

Namaste

Joe Smith said...

This is a fantastic idea. Now they'll all be easy to find so they can be removed and the stores can be turned back over to the people who own them or are paying rent.

@Original Mike
If any of the 'artists' asks for royalties that would be great. Their names will now be known and they can be prosecuted for vandalism.

tim in vermont said...

Not only did they cancel Heg, but the Norwegian flag to boot. That seems kind of harsh.

Char Char Binks, Esq. said...

How do you get royalties from business owners? You get yourself a bullhorn and a baseball bat.

madAsHell said...

Why does the Black Lives Matter mural finder feel like so much potty training? Seeking gratification on-line for the mess they made in the street.

It's like one of those weird-ohs that hangs out at the Althouse blog, and makes snarky comments. I mean......get a life!!

Achilles said...

Ann Althouse said...

"You've got to be kidding me."

No, I've got to be explaining Meade's joke. Apparently, you're not in a jovial mood.

Perspective.

I liked Trump's joke about delaying the elections and Meade's joke about finding Heg.

Bill, Republic of Texas said...

Thank God that was a try at humor.

Matt said...

"Within 48 hours, Wolf gathered a coalition of artists to create murals on the plywood"

"We need murals on plywood. Round up the usual suspects."

Joe Smith said...

So if a piece of plywood is painted over with a BLM mural, and later that same BLM mural is painted over to look like plywood, was anything actually destroyed.

Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...

or "How To Find All the Businesses Destroyed In Madison"

gerry said...

Who cares?

It's a college town. The denizens love this kind of crap.

As long as it stays out of their neighborhoods.

BUMBLE BEE said...

From the looks of the windows there Madison looks like a shit hole. Murals == the lipstick on the pig.

James Pawlak said...


I am of the opinion that "art" should reflect reality. Therefore, I suggest that a very large mural be added to Madison's "State Street Collection". That realistic work-of-art would show:
1. Front and center some "dude" holding a gun and him standing over the body of a child he has just murdered;
2. In the near background two such "persons" exchanging money for a "packet of white powder";
3. In the further background some Black woman with her four children and them very clearly of different genetic ancestry;
4. In a window some person-of-color (ie Whose ancestry is in China or India or Korea or Japan) sitting before a text-book.

Joe Smith said...

"Murals == the lipstick on the pig."

A firm and fast rule of life is to never live in any city that allows huge murals of any political figures to be painted on buildings. Those places are invariably left-wing hell holes.

bart simpsonson said...

Well, at least the "murals" are done on plywood (so they can be removed and used for USEFUL purposes). Like subflooring. Or firewood. You know, for when the Ruling Class' testicles drop and they can Make America Great Again. As if......

Bunkypotatohead said...

"Wolf said that moving forward, she hopes people will invest in future art instead of fixating on these particular murals, which were never meant to last forever."
On November 4th there will be a new riot, and plenty of opportunities for future art.

0_0 said...

Will Google also show locations for the street memorials for those murdered in Floyd's neighborhood since late May?