A mural by Joel Hart in New Brighton
New Brighton is a beach area in Christchurch that was hit hard in the 2011 earthquake. Repairs are still ongoing and the town feels a bit abandoned as tourism is down and shops have closed. It is, however, a mecca for street artists and there is an abundance of colorful murals. Here is just a selection of photos by a variety of artists, my favorite of which being Joel Hart.
Some street art in the Christchurch CBD
A defining feature of Christchurch – and a central theme of pretty much every conversation – is the earthquakes in 2011 that devastated huge sections of the city. Nearly 200 people were killed and countless buildings were destroyed. Six years later the business center still has empty lots and ongoing roadworks that frustrate locals and confuse visitors. One silver lining is the abundance of street art that has emerged to fill the spaces. Here is just a small selection of photos taken on an afternoon wandering around.
A mural by Toxicomano in the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami
There is a neighborhood in Miami called Wynwood which is a mecca for street artists and muralists. Colorful walls stretch for blocks, covered with work by artists like Pez, Kashink, and Toxicomano. You can wander around for hours without knowing what you’ll find around the corner, but if you’d like a bit more guidance you can refer to Wynwood Map, which will help you locate and identify particular art or artists.
A mural in East Austin
During my weekend in Austin I stayed at an incredible Airbnb run by a Hungarian woman. It was a farm just on the outskirts of town. They had goats, horses, dogs, bees, and a host of other animals hanging around. The family invited me to a 4th of July “anti-party” in East Austin – a part of town not usually frequented by tourists. I arrived at the bar about an hour early and took a stroll around, pleased to find an abundance of street art. Here’s a sampling.
A mural at Kingspoint, a street art mecca in Houston.
Of course in Houston I hunted out some street art. I took a side trip to Kingspoint on my way down to Galveston, but unfortunately there wasn’t much going on there and most of it was blocked off. What I did see were enormous, beautiful murals and lots of tags. It would have been great to go when artists were there working.
There was also quite a bit of cool stuff around the Montrose neighborhood. I honestly can’t remember where I took a lot of these pictures, but I believe most were either Kingspoint or Montrose.
A Yank without a Chain 