POW! WOW! Worcester just wrapped for the second year in Massachusetts, leaving behind a massive public art exhibition and giving the town something to talk about.
POW! WOW! Worcester just wrapped for the second year in Massachusetts, leaving behind a massive public art exhibition and giving the town something to talk about.
It's unusual to see 30 large-scale paintings concentrated on just a few sites, but Worcester made it happen, creating a dazzling community spectacle that went beyond the visual impact and built dialogue and friendships, breaking down boundaries between art and the local public, making it accessible to the people who are meant to enjoy and live with it.
Che Anderson and Jessica Walsh are the organizers behind Worcester’s mural festival, mirroring the model developed by POW! WOW! founder Jasper Wong that transforms cities worldwide. A key component of every POW! WOW! Is creating opportunities for local students and families are to learn from and interact with talented, hardworking international artists who come to town and spend a week making everlasting magic.
Each POW! WOW! has its own unique vibe and this one was a gem. A warm group of artists, tireless and enthusiastic crews, contemporary art juxtaposed with large-scale, historic East Coast architecture, and new generations of artists and appreciators getting inspired to participate in the art life. Painting for hours a day, we were happy, but it was hard not to feel the heaviness of Houston’s disaster and the constant flow of bad news. At times of tragedy and struggle, art really does bring people together and opens discussions that affect positive change. Murals might not save the world, but they do save souls, and there is no question that mural festivals make a massive vibration of positivity that radiates.
We had an incredible week in New England’s second-largest city, painting alongside legends, and leading a panel discussion on the impact of public art over the last decade. Power couple 123Klan was there with their 123Kids, building their legacy as a family, one wall at a time, along with artists Nosego, Caratoes, APEXER, Denial, Kelly Towles, Nicky Davis, Pichiavo, Greg Mike, Big Teeff, Key Detail, Julia Yubaba, Ricardo Gonzalez, Chris Konecki, Earth Crusher, Ghostbeard, Patch Whiskey, Eamon Gillen, Stash, Ferdinand, Angurria, Ivan Roque, Dasic Fernandez, Joe Iurato, Lil’ Sophie, Scott Listfield, Keya Tama, Becky Cloonan, Crash One, Drew Merritt, Kai Griffiths, Stash, Josie Morway, Lucas Aoki, Five8, Brian Butler, Michal Maka, Pamela Stolz, Scott Walker, Scott Boilard, and Alex “The Kid” Hayes. Every artist was supported to go big and do their best work.
Thank you to the organizers of POW! WOW! for inviting us to experience the love of a town full of pride and appreciation for creative transformation. As for what’s next in Worcester, as POW! WOW! director Che Anderson likes to say, “Just wait on it.”
—Kristin Farr, Juxtapoz
Photos by Halopigg
