Artist Jon Doe Photographer Jane Anderson
The kick-off event to take place at the California Automobile Museum
Sacramento, CA (July 30, 2019) – Now a proud Sacramento tradition, the Wide Open Walls mural festival is returning to Sacramento next month. The ten-day event begins at 9:00 a.m. PT on August 8, 2019, at the California Automobile Museum. Remarks will be given by the city and regional leaders including Congresswoman Doris Matsui, Mayor Darryl Steinberg, and artist Raphael Delgado. Front Street Animal Shelter will also be on hand showcasing adoptable puppies. The event has gained international attention since its inaugural launch in the summer of 2017 and has continued to beautify Sacramento’s cityscape.
“Art has the power to captivate, heal, and bring us together, which is why it is critically important for us to bring art to all people,” says Matsui. “As the nation’s largest mural festival, Wide Open Walls transforms our city in a tapestry of the human spirit, and I applaud the program and this year’s artists for brightening our community and connecting more and more people to the arts.”
What began as a way to draw attention to Sacramento’s mural painting history has now become a renowned event, drawing hundreds of thousands of local residents and visitors alike to marvel as artists transform blank building canvases into public art pieces.
“At a time when many people in our nation are focused on building walls to keep people out, we’re painting walls to bring people in,” says Steinberg. “This festival continues to be a beacon of diversity and inclusion and we’re excited to keep this tradition going.”
Artist Raphael Delgado notes that while the festival has become an attraction for spectators far and wide, the event has also put Sacramento at the forefront of the art community on an international level.
“Because of events like Wide Open Walls, artists from around the world are realizing that our city is a hub of art and culture,” says Delgado. “This is great news for us both socially and economically.”
The California Automobile Museum is located at 2200 Front Street in Sacramento. Wide Open Walls runs through August 18, 2019and is free to the public. The festival will host 55 artists with 40 new murals being painted around the greater Sacramento area. More information including artist sign-ups and sponsorship opportunities can be found at http://wideopenwalls.org/
Press Conference Details
Date: Thursday, August 8
Time: 9AM-9:30 AM
Location: California Auto Museum – 2200 Front Street
Scheduled to speak: Congresswoman Doris Matsui, Mayor Darrell Steinberg, artist Raphael Delgado
About Wide Open Walls
Wide Open Walls is a 501(3)(c) whose mission is to promote and celebrate public art. Wide Open Walls brings underserved neighborhoods public art that encourages a sense of pride and identity; provides community gathering spaces; generates impactful, measurable economic growth for the Sacramento region; and promotes greater cultural understanding and appreciation amongst diverse groups. The organization’s mission is personified through its annual festival in August that brings local, national and international artists together to transform Sacramento with original and stunning street art. Additionally, Wide Open Walls supports other events throughout the year – including The Mural Jam, Sac Republic’s Paint The Park, and the Playa Art Trail.
Artists are painting the walls of Sacramento businesses for the Wide Open Walls Festival.
Sacramento’s annual Wide Open Walls festival is in full swing, with artists painting murals on hotels, parking structures, restaurants and office buildings throughout the city.
Most days, the tree-lined midtown streets near The Sacramento Bee are quiet and predictable. In other words, boring. But on Friday, as the clock ticked toward noon, four young men piled out of “I Love Teriyaki” and craned their necks to get a look at the humongous bear that Raphael Delgado was painting on a building across the street.
The 15-story painting marks the 50th anniversary of Cash’s ‘At Folsom Prison’ album and shines a light on prison reform.
There’s more to the city than food and drink, of course. In fact, Harvard researchers once named Sacramento the most diverse city in America, and years later, creatives are finding more opportunity for expression. Perhaps the most visible example is Wide Open Walls, an outdoor mural festival that’s preparing for a third year of bringing color to storefronts, building facades, and unused walls around town. There’s no time like the present to check it out