The Art of Starting Up a Mural Project

Ask a Reporter is an occasional series about civic engagement in and around the city. Do you have a question about how you can make a difference in your neighborhood, city or state? What about voting, the elections or navigating civic life in New York? Ask us! We want to help you get involved by answering your questions.

You need a wall, and permission to use it. You need funding. You need an artist and volunteers to design and paint the mural. And for all of this, you need a community-driven process. Because a mural — though it may be a form of beautifying a space — is really about getting people together.

“I feel like so many of our community engagement sessions are opportunities for people to tell their stories," said Eric Miles, Director of Programs for the non-profit Groundswell.

He added, “Sometimes those conversations only come out when there is a sounding board or something to talk about.”

For more on how to kick start a mural project, read this story on Gothamist.com.