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| Washington, DC Black Lives Matter Plaza |
“Art is an effort to create, beside the real world, a more humane world.”––Andre Maurois
Charise’s Turn:
As a performing artist in the Washington, DC area, I have participated in dance festivals, street fairs, and theatrical productions. With the current pandemic, all of these arts events are cancelled. But the best street art that I’ve seen occurred in the early morning hours of June 5, when a “Black Lives Matter” mural was painted on a portion of 16th Street NW. The painting was ordered by DC Mayor Muriel Bowser.
Politics aside (there’s been both praise and criticism for her decision), the mural is an act of bold creativity linked to core values. It is visually stunning and cannot be ignored. The yellow letters span the street, curb-to-curb, amounting to a walkway to get from one side to the other. The art is now part of the street itself, as if the blueprint was already there and has come to the surface. It has a gathering force that draws people to it––and has inspired other communities in other cities to create similar murals.
Get Fired Up:
Consider your core values and how they light up your creativity.
What do you value, and how do you express this?
