In the midst of the global pandemic, many businesses in Washington, DC covered their storefront windows with plywood knowing that they would be closed for an extended period of time. In June, as social unrest over systemic injustice led to demonstrations and outcry, artists took to the streets to express their protest through art, using the abundance of plywood as their canvas. In collaboration with Kelly Paras, who documented the growing number of murals in the city, we wanted to show how art acts as an important tool to form social consciousness, build on protest momentum, enhance community networks, and, at the same time, create open dialogue about the state of artistic expression.
The first image was taken on U Street, NW, artist unknown at this time. Second image, Say Their Names (@monolithdc at @chinachilcano). Third image, Change @trapxbob at @womeninthearts. Fourth image, United We Stand @richshaadryan in Downtown. Fifth image, Peace Cranes @tsuruforsolidarity at @blacklivesmatterplaza. Sixth image, DC @decoydc in Downtown. Seventh image, Rise Together @marly_mcfly87 at @andpizza U Street, NW. Eighth image, BLM by artist @lwart.
The first image, BLM is by @sptheplug. The second image, Our Creativity Will Set Us Free is by artist @glitteeeeeeeeer. The third image, I am a Man, by @sptheplug at @zaytinya. The fourth image, All the Power to the People, @shanishih. The fifth image, Support the Movement, @keionaclarkart. The sixth image, Justice Now, @levirobinsonart. The seventh image, Am I Next? @jay_durrah. The eighth image, We Are One, @wileymurals.
