The Big Picture - Valor American Home

“Wow, did you see that?”-- I blurted as I nearly bumped the car in front of me. I was trying to take a second look at what appeared to be an enormous work of art. Not a sculpture, but a huge mural painted on the side of a building. Having never been to Richmond, Virginia, my eyes were wide open.

Usually, such wall art is either an advertisement for a specific product or a montage of images which share the history of the city it is located… Not this time, it was truly fine art. Before I knew it, I spotted another, and another. As a lover of art, my eyes were feasting like the first 5 minutes at a Thanksgiving buffet. I simply couldn’t get enough! -- Alas, I missed my turn and was soon lost.

The behemoth art had captured my intrigue. Each unique. Each custom fit to the shape of the building’s “canvas”. Each a window into the mind of the artist and an open door for one’s own interpretation. “There has to be a story behind all of this,” I thought to myself.

Sure enough.

Over 5 years ago, Shane Pomajamba decided to take on a major effort. As a former gallery owner, he was well versed in art and the impact it can have. Richmond is a city in renaissance. Rich with history, but astir with energy of a new generation. Shane’s vision, the Richmond Mural Project, is to make Richmond a destination for viewing the creations of the world’s top muralists. With nearly 100 murals completed, his dream is becoming a reality. They can be easily spotted in neighborhoods from the Fan District to the Virginia Museum of Fine Art.

ONUR

GREG MIKE

ARYZ

EKUNDAYO

ANGRY WOEBATS

Every year, 10 muralists create over 20 murals in a window of 2 weeks. Amazing. The artists hail from all over the world. This year’s assembly included: Peru, Amsterdam, Kiev, Puerto Rico, Raleigh, NYC, Detroit, and Maryland. My timing was perfect to witness the art in progress. I stopped and momentarily visited a couple of the sites. The artists were battling temperatures near 100 degrees, with almost a matching humidity level…..not the comfort of an air conditioned studio. In addition, the proximity of the adjacent buildings did not provide an abundance of space to evaluate one’s own progress. I don’t know how they do it! I would create nothing short of a mess.

PIXEL PANCHO

GAIA

One artist, Marka27, was born in Juarez, Mexico, and raised in Dallas, Texas. After perfecting the art of graffiti, he went on to receive his BFA in fine art from The Museum School of Fine Arts in Boston. The rather stolid artist was very deep in thought when he shared his concept drawing with me. In amazement, I stood and stuttered. I did not know what to say. There weren’t any pre-construction lines on the wall. He was creating scale, dimension, and texture as he went---all from the spray of his fauve palette. I returned, a couple of days later, to check progress. Again, I was totally overwhelmed.

Shane’s efforts are matched by an ulterior motive. That is to get “feet on the street” in order to view these works of art. In turn, this will lead to the support of the local businesses the murals surround. Clever.

In a time when small businesses treasure every opportunity to reach patrons, these noble efforts are sure to be highly valued. They could easily become the lifeline of the community. That is the big picture, indeed.

This was A Moment in America.

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