North American Cities Have Gone Mural Mad

North America and, most likely, the entire world have gone mural mad. There are no official statistics, but the total number of murals in North American cities has undoubtedly skyrocketed in recent years. From New York to San Francisco and numerous cities in between, street art has fully emerged from its controversial beginnings as graffiti to a brilliant art form that delights tourists and locals. Last week, Vancouver, Canada concluded a five-day mural festival. Two months ago, Birmingham, Alabama unveiled a Willie Mays mural one day after he died, and Cincinnati was named America’s No. 1 street art city by USA Today earlier this year. The Vancouver Mural Festival, an independent, nonprofit arts organization, was formed in 2016 and has created more than 400 murals in the Vancouver area. The group’s festival this month unveiled a dozen new works and showcased the talents of more than 40 visual artists. “We’re bringing people together through the power of public art, amplifying voices and creating platforms for artists,” the organization states on its website. In June in downtown Birmingham, artist Chuck Styles presented his mural of Mays wearing a Birmingham Black Barons jersey. At age 17, Mays played for that team in...