Muralists and Murals of Pittsburgh: Part One-Level Up Your Space!
Thinking of Commissioning a Mural For Your Home, Business or Public Community?
While I was researching murals here in SW PA, I discovered that there are a large number of extraordinary muralists/artists in the region who create murals for communities, businesses and private homes. Later in this post, I’ll go over some things to consider before starting your project and I’ll showcase some amazing local artists who create commissioned murals as part of their art business.
I was absolutely floored by the passion and deep commitment these artists have to their artistic vision and to bringing joy to their clients and communities.
My next blog post will highlight a few of the area’s incredible variety of the estimated 200+ murals in the Pittsburgh area for you to hunt for (it’s a perfect idea for a staycation day!) along with several more muralists. There were just too many to feature in one blog post.
Watch for an announcement of a directory of sorts that I am working on so that all of those I have found can be recognized.
First, A Quick Overview
When driving around Pittsburgh it’s easy to find a wide array of colorful murals gracing walls everywhere. Murals have been embraced by cities around the world, beautifying distressed neighborhoods and boring architecture, and creating a sense of local identity. Murals have been around since early humans created cave paintings. They are one of the most popular and enduring forms of visual art accessible to anyone and everyone.
The most common types of public murals portray historical people and events, are advertising like the faded “ghost” signs on old buildings, community legacy, and local specialties, but the genre is evolving as well. Muralists are embracing beauty, decoration, and positivity, something we can all use in difficult times.
Murals aren’t just on outside walls. You can find them in hospitals, houses of worship, office buildings, private homes, even utility boxes on sidewalks.
It’s a stylish way to decorate when hanging individual artworks may not be practical.
And murals are a fun way to personalize your space to the next level. The possibilities are limitless!
Here are some things to consider when planning your project:
- Will it be in a public or private space? Who will see the mural? What is its purpose?
- Interior or exterior? What is the room used for? Size?
- Permanent or temporary installation?
- What style or aesthetic do you prefer?
- What is your budget?
- Timeframe: When do you need it to be finished by?
Will it be in a public or private space?
The first thing to think about is where exactly will the project be located.
Public spaces are accessible to anyone in the vicinity of the mural, like pedestrians on a neighborhood sidewalk. These are often community projects. It can be on an exterior wall of a business, a public building, or an installation at a public park. It can also be on interior walls such as in hospitals, doctors’ offices, public buildings, or churches and other houses of worship, just to name a few.
Private spaces can be a new baby’s nursery, creating a calm, safe space or an older child’s room with something they love like planets and galaxies or animals. But it doesn’t have to be for kids only. A sunroom can have a mural of bold flowers or stylized plants.
Interior or exterior? What is the room used for? Size?
If it is for a commercial business like a restaurant or store, it can be on an exterior wall or part of the interior. Interior murals make a big impact on customers, setting the mood or aesthetic for the products and services offered. A donut shop, for example, could have a mural of yummy, colorful donuts in the Kawaii aesthetic (a Japanese cute style-think Hello Kitty and Pusheen) that would make someone smile and associate child-like happiness with a donut from their shop.
In a doctor’s or dentist’s office, soft comforting colors can help patients feel more at ease. A mural with scenes of places, animals, or interesting general topics like space or marine life give kids and adults something to look at and distract their attention from the stress of a visit.
For a car dealership, a mural with vintage cars would give customers a distraction while they wait for that paperwork to go through and even to look at instead of their phone. For sporting goods stores, scenes depicting how products are used like ski scenes or soccer games make mental connections between products in packaging and how they are used. Connection sells!
Exterior murals make bold statements in their communities about local history and people in that neighborhood. They also help create a sense of identity between the residents and their community while showcasing their uniqueness to visitors. Another use is for the Welcome to… signs that greet visitors to a town or neighborhood, a very helpful feature in a city like Pittsburgh!
Advertising murals like vintage “ghost” signs give a bit of connection to the past while contemporary examples can be decorative and informative.
Some other places to have murals in are parks, parklets, or to dress up a privacy fence or boring garage door.
Anyway, back to options to consider for your own mural project!
We’ve already gone over some uses for murals in types of rooms.
Size
Think about the size of the mural that you would like.
- It is a big factor in pricing a commissioned work and it does affect the visual “wow” factor. Murals are meant to be noticed!
- Will it take up an entire wall, or just a portion of one?
- The purpose of the mural also helps determine the size.
- Do you want an overall design or a motif/single focal point?
- Size also affects the amount of time that the artist will need to complete the project.
Permanent or temporary installation?
Did you know that murals aren’t just permanent? They can be made so that they can be removed and relocated to another location. Something to consider if a building may be sold and the new owner may not want the mural to stay. This happened in East Liberty several years ago when a company purchased a building and covered up a beloved community mural that celebrated the historically Black neighborhood despite significant opposition from the community. It was saved in photos but that’s just not the same experience.
For a private homeowner, murals can level up the uniqueness of a home. It may not matter if you want to take it along or not when you sell your home. Some buyers might even be looking for a home with high-end decoration like a mural that doesn’t have the maintenance of wallpaper or they don’t have the time to collect and care for individual paintings. One thing to think about is whether you want something that is permanent and if it matters if tastes/trends change allowing it to be painted over or if you want to take your prized mural with you to your next home.
What style or aesthetic do you prefer?
This is probably the most subjective part of your project. Color sets the tone for the interior rooms. A doctor’s office may want calming colors, whereas a gym might want bold, active colors. New parents might prefer soft, pastel tones for a new baby’s nursery. The artist you choose to work with will be glad to help you make informed decisions. The choices are endless.
Outdoor murals tend to be bold and colorful to catch your attention, making an immediate impact on the viewer while succinctly telling a story.
Styles are as varied as any other art form, so you can go abstract, realism, comic/anime, graphics, Impressionism, Goth, anything you can imagine. The artist you hire will help guide you in those decisions.
What is your budget?
Pricing varies widely, with several factors involved. This depends on time constraints, materials’ costs, time required for the work to be completed, the artist’s own pricing formulas, and the size of the work.
Location is a big factor as well. Painting a mural on an old brick factory building which requires scaffolding and possibly assistants, will be priced differently than a small bedroom in a private home.
Like any other project, get two or three estimates from different artists after you have decided on a baseline budget.
Timeframe: When do you need it to be finished by?
As with any project that involves a planning process, it’s wise to plan well ahead of time before your intended deadline.
Obviously, variable factors like weather will affect the timeframe for an outdoor project. Funding, organizational requirements and guidelines affect public projects. Some major projects, particularly for outdoors, might require local permits, scaffolding, etc.
Do keep in mind that anything worthwhile takes time, and details should be agreed on in advance.
Muralists are professionals and are more than happy to provide guidance throughout the entire project from planning to finish.
Muralists Based in Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh art scene is blessed to have so many professional muralists offering a wide variety of styles and specialties. Many of them offer classes and traditional artwork as well. Be sure to support these incredibly talented artists!
Feel free to reach out to them with questions about your upcoming project.
In the spirit of the Juneteenth celebrations, most of the following artists are BIPOC.
V Jennings
https://www.instagram.com/vjenningsart
V Jennings has been creating both interior and exterior murals since 2014. Most recently she has completed projects for The Black Cat Market and Black Lotus Pizza. Her latest project is a mural for the City Grows plant store.
By learning to adapt to a visual impairment called visual snow syndrome, her work is characterized by bold botanicals, bright rich colors, and stark contrasts, making V’s style easily adaptable to any type of space.
She does have a digital portfolio available and an artist’s statement, which is what an artist will use to describe their process, influences, and inspiration. You can contact V through her Instagram profile.
Here’s an excerpt from V’s artist statement:
“Within my works, vibrant bursts of color coexist with imagined deep tones, symbolizing the stark contrast between what I witness and the nuanced depth I aspire to perceive.
This duality between actual perception and imagined clarity serves as a catalyst, fueling my creative vision to capture 'bright' pockets of color amidst the visual noise, encapsulating the essence of what I see juxtaposed with what I wish to envision.”_ V Jennings
The Black Cat Market mural by V Jennings Photo credit: V Jennings
Photo credit: V Jennings IG post
Alison Zapata
https://www.instagram.com/alisonzapataartist
https://linktr.ee/Alisonzapataartist
Alison Zapata has been featured in the 2023 Aspinwall edition of Shady Avenue Magazine for her mural “Aspinwall”, which you may have seen while visiting the area. She is a certified arts educator, having been awarded membership in the Young Audiences Arts for Learning National Credentialed Teaching Artists in partnership with the Arts Education Collaborative.
She is active in both mural painting, teaching and metal sculpture. Her works often involve collaborations with other Pittsburgh artists like Oreen Cohen.
Alison’s vibrant style is informed by her Mexican-American heritage. She is an active member of #notwhitecollective, a supportive and outstanding group of women artists of color in Pittsburgh. Much of her work is meant to uplift neighborhoods, students, and private spaces of homes like a fun octopus in a bathroom (view the video on her Instagram profile, it’s really amazing!).
Aspinwall Mural Photo credit: Alison Zapata IG Mural at Tepache Mexican Kitchen & Bar
Photo credit: Alison Zapata IG profile
Juliandra Jones
https://www.instagram.com/pbjcustoms
Juliandra Jones is the founder of PBJ Customs with the motto, “Custom Art for Custom People”. As another multidisciplinary artist, she has built a thriving art practice uplifting neighborhoods and people through her bold public art projects with a focus on education.
She completed an engaging interior mural for the University Preparatory School, Milliones 6-12 in the Hill District. The mural celebrates some of the incredible talent from the Hill District such as Teenie Harris, August Wilson, Margaret Milliones, Josh Gibson and Thelma Lovette. Juliandra has many notable murals throughout the area. Other murals include “Penn Ave. Circa 60s” at Condado
Tacos in East Liberty, “Skye Strong” at SkyestheLimit14 exotic car rental in Homewood, and “BeYOUtiful” Murals on a Mission in New Kensington, among many others.
A project in the works is “Pop Up with PBJ”, a mobile art studio which provides area students with free art workshops. It will supplement students’ current art classes and fulfill a need in communities where school budget cutbacks may have diminished arts classes for students at a time when creativity has been shown to be essential for overall learning success in any field.
Visit her website to see a full range of her amazing work and to contact her for more information.
University Preparatory School, Milliones 6-12 Condado Tacos, East Liberty
Photo credit: PBJCustoms website Photo credit: PBJCustoms website
Jayla Patton
https://www.instagram.com/jpattonart
https://linktr.ee/jpatton_pending
Jayla Patton is an arts educator, illustrator and comic artist who also creates murals. She uses her signature style to create vibrant images that instantly lift your spirits. While she uses traditional mediums like watercolor to create small pieces, she also uses Photoshop and teaches digital art with animation.
You may remember her biggest mural project so far which is the 3500 square foot street mural on Penn Ave., that she painted in 2020 during the pandemic to brighten the restaurant corridor downtown. It’s no longer there, but was part of an ongoing, rotating public art project downtown.
Photo credit: KDKA Photo credit: Jayla Patton Instagram profile
Heidi Henciak Walsh
https://www.inkprintstudio.com/
https://www.instagram.com/inkprintstudio
Heidi Walsh is also a multidisciplinary artist working as a muralist, illustrator, and painter of abstracts. She is based in both Pittsburgh and Palm Beach, FL, exhibiting at exhibitions and art fairs while regularly creating site-specific indoor and outdoor murals.
Her acrylic paintings use soft, tonal colors to create a sense of calmness, while her ink and watercolor illustrations are mostly complex stylized botanicals. The murals are an elegant combination of the two, gracing walls, sidewalks, and private homes with her love of nature and design.
Heidi has been selected to be part of the Pittsburgh Creative Corps Artist Directory of the Office of Public Art, which streamlines the process of planning public art installations.
Photo credit for both: Heidi Walsh-InkprintStudio.com
Are You Ready to See More?
I know I am!
My next post will feature more of these incredible artists and their murals, along with a few well-known murals in the ‘Burgh to hunt for during your next staycation, and some lesser-known murals that often are overlooked simply because of their location.
*I do not use AI for any of my writing, it’s all me.
This post is sponsored by Tarasa Hurley, Realtor. Contact her for more information regarding your real estate needs.
*originally published here: https://www.tarasa.com/blog/muralists-murals-pittsburgh/
