Plaza Walls Mural Expo
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | September 2024
Live Mural Painting | Plaza District
The Plaza Walls Mural Expo has easily been one of my favorite mural festivals I have had the opportunity to participate in.
They set the bar.
From the hospitality and organization to the music, food, accommodations, and overall energy surrounding the event, it felt like the artists were genuinely valued and given the space to do what we came there to do: create.
One of my favorite parts was the creative freedom.
We were given a space to paint, but no mockup was required. They had already done their homework when selecting the artists and trusted us to show up and create.
That kind of trust changes the way you approach a wall.
When someone gives you that much freedom, naturally you want to push yourself. I did not want to show up and paint something safe. I wanted to experiment, challenge myself, have fun with it, and create something that could be a highlight for me personally. I wanted to show what I was capable of.
The experience surrounding the mural made it even better.
Food was provided for the artists, paint and discounted supplies were available for the event, and I was provided a place to stay while I was in Oklahoma City. the Airbnb was nice, the music throughout the festival added to the atmosphere, and everything felt centered around giving artists a good environment to create in.
Before the main event, they also organized a celebration for the participating artists. It gave everyone a chance to meet, hang out, and connect before things really got going.
One of the highlights for me was getting to meet Cornbread, one of the early legends of graffiti writing. I picked up one of his books and had the opportunity to get it autographed. Being able to meet someone connected to that history while participating in a mural festival myself was a cool moment.
Throughout the event, I also met a lot of talented artists and got to watch completely different styles and ideas take shape around me.
That is part of what makes mural festivals special. You are focused on your own wall, but at the same time, you are surrounded by people doing the same thing in completely different ways. You get to exchange ideas, watch other people's processes, make connections, and feed off the energy happening around you.
For me, Plaza Walls created the right environment for all of that.
I came into the festival wanting to experiment and show another level of what I could do, but I left just as inspired by the experience surrounding the mural.
The hospitality was great. The food was great. The music was great. The people were great. The compensation and support made me feel like the work of the artists was actually being respected.
Most importantly, they trusted us to create.
To this day, Plaza Walls has been one of my favorite mural events I have participated in.
Very thankful to have been part of it.
