CLEVELAND – An artist from northeast Ohio joins others in using his artistic skills to beautify a Cleveland neighborhood and rid it of visual decay.
What you need to know
- More than 20 artists from Cleveland and around the world take part Cleveland walls!
- About 20 buildings in the Midtown neighborhood are transformed by stunning public murals
- Cleveland walls! is made possible by Phew! Impressive! Worldwide, Midtown Cleveland and LAND Studio
- The celebration is from August 23rd to 28th
A wall at 1776 E. 40th St. in Cleveland consumed artists Dayz Whun ‘s thoughts for the past week.
“I was shocked to see such a huge wall,” said Whun. “I haven’t slept at all. All I can think about all night is this wall. It’s the only thing that comes to mind. “
Dayz is one of the participating artists Cleveland walls!, a weeklong event that brought together artists from across the nation. More artists from around the world were expected to come to Cleveland for this event, but they were unable to attend due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is sponsored by the Pow! International Wall Art Festival. Impressive! Worldwide and made possible in Cleveland with the help of artists from Northeast Ohio, MidTown Cleveland, and LAND Studio.
“I’m very honored to be part of Cleveland Walls!” Said Whun. “I’m glad I was able to be here to represent not only local artists, but minority artists as well, to show that there is a lot of talent in Cleveland waiting to be seen.”
It is a festival of art, culture and community. Above 20th Facades of buildings around Midtown are being redesigned.
“Cleveland has a lot of abandoned buildings, a lot of decay,” said Whun. “And it’s time to beautify the city, to make it look a lot better. Art influences thought processes. Art changes the environment. It gives people a sense of hope. “
Hailing from Cleveland, Dayz has been painting murals on the streets of Cleveland since he was 13. He is a well-respected artist now and is doing everything possible to look after the youth while owning his own Tattoo shop. Some of his friends and art mentors and mentees helped him lay the foundation for his mural.
“We’ve come this far, so in order to be contacted and a part of it, it means that you guys did your thing and I did my thing. And being a part of it is like yes let’s go Do you know what’s next? ”Whun said. “When I’m part of it, my team is part of it too, so we always like it, a win for one of us is still a win for the whole crew.”
He has long said Midtown has been depressed and disadvantaged, and he’s happy to be part of changing that narrative.
“So, I think it’s good to see it come back and freshen up,” said Whun. “The city is our canvas. And the city is the museum right now. So the Midtown neighborhood is like a big museum. “
He’s excited to help transform eyesore buildings into beauty so that people from around the world can see Cleveland in a new light.
“It’s just so nice to be involved in a doping project like this,” said Whun.
In addition to the 20 public murals created during the event, Cleveland Walls! includes free family-friendly activities, performances, and artist talks. For more information, visit Here.
