Work underway on the largest mural in Pittsburgh regions
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — The largest mural in the Pittsburgh region is in the works, and you can help create it.
By fall, the art will cover most of Salem's Market and Grill in the Hill District, where the Shop-n-Save used to be.
The Morant kids all left their lasting mark at the community event Saturday. Sixteen-year-old Jerome Morant said, "I painted my name because it's important to show people how much you care about the community."
His sister, 19-year-old Shayae, said, "I put my name on it because this is also my neighborhood."
And their younger sibling, Jael, said, "It's just so amazing because every day I'm gonna be here, I'm gonna look at this wall. I'm gonna imagine tons of wonderful things about my siblings"
The mural started with "End Gun Violence" and grew organically as kids, police officers and people throughout the community added their own messages and symbols.
Wilkinsburg native and artist Kyle Holbrook creates murals around the world. He's touring all 50 states to raise awareness of gun violence and is bringing his message of peace to Pittsburgh.
"I've been shot at several times," he said. "I've had most of my best friends be victims of gun violence. I've lost family members to gun violence."
Teenager Samaya Thomas, who helped paint the mural, said, "We're all the same complexion so it affects all of us. And we're all sad about it because a lot of people in my family have died from gun violence so it's hard."
Holbrook and artists from around the world will add their own designs to the mural depicting the Hill District's history with QR codes to learn more.
The community hopes the art can be the beginning of a better future.
Destiny Brown, a teenager from the Hill District, said, she hopes the art will heal "by making people listen more, talking about it more, experiencing it."
Holbrook knows art can't stop violence, but it can be a powerful symbol and an inspiration for change. And the act of making it together is the beginning of that.
"We got officers, we got kids, we got people from different communities, we got intergenerational, we got people working together, that's what makes a community," Holbrook said.
Jerome Morant, 16, added, "We're a community. It's good to care instead of going against them."
This was the first of three community days at Salem's Market and Grill where anyone can come and help create the mural.
You can join the community on Aug. 21 and Sept. 17 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. They welcome people of all ages, all races and from all parts of the region.
And if you're a visual or performing artist and would like to contribute to the project and events around it, officials are taking submissions through July 25. Email PGHARTPARK@MLKMural.com for information to apply.
And you'll find more positive things for kids in our region here.
