Reviewed by: Pat Byington
Local artists bringing new mural festival to Birmingham this fall
Reading time: 3 minutes
Go ahead and mark your calendar on Saturday, October 17—something big is coming to Birmingham! This fall, a team of local artists is bringing a new mural festival to downtown Birmingham, highlighting local muralists and brightening The Magic City, one wall at a time.
Bham Now spoke with the team behind Yonder Walls Mural Festival to learn more.
What you need to know about Yonder Walls Mural Festival
If you’ve never attended a mural festival yourself, don’t worry—unless you’re one of the artists, you won’t need to pick up a paintbrush.
Founded by local muralists Sean Gilder and Levi Levinson + Jordan Thompson of Bendy Knees Design Co., Yonder Walls Mural Festival is an upcoming event intended to showcase the talent and expertise of homegrown artists here in Birmingham.
“Our overarching goal with Yonder Walls Mural Festival is to showcase the talent that exists within Alabama. Too often, we’ve seen life-changing artistic jobs go to artists from outside the state. Why aren’t we looking in-state uplift talented artists? The simplest answer is these companies aren’t aware of the artistic talent that’s right here.”
Levi Levinson, Co-Director, Yonder Walls Mural Festival
Free to attend and open to the public, Yonder Walls Mural Festival will take place on Saturday, October 17, in Urban Supply, a walkable outdoor entertainment destination in Birmingham’s Parkside district. In the week leading up to the event, participating local artists will work around the clock to showcase their talent through imaginative, colorful murals.
“As muralists, we are usually given strict parameters when working on client work. Yonder Walls Mural Festival is our way of giving local artists the autonomy to express themselves as creatively as possible.”
Sean Gilder, Co-Director, Yonder Walls Mural Festival
On the day of the festival, attendees can interact with and watch the artists put the finishing touches on their new murals. Throughout the event, festival-goers can also attend local performances and grab a bite to eat from local vendors.
“The festival will go from around noon to 8PM with performances throughout the day, whether that’s poets, the Magic City Disco team or musicians. We’ll have food trucks and we’re planning on partnering with some of the conservancies in town to highlight some of the endangered species here in Alabama.
At the end of the day, we’re just trying to elevate as many local creative voices as possible.”
Jordan Thompson, Co-Director, Yonder Walls Mural Festival
Want to get involved with Yonder Walls Mural Festival? Here’s how 👇
Whether you’re interested in painting, performing, volunteering or anything in between, you can find out everything you need to know about Yonder Walls Mural Festival at its first public informational meeting this week.
- What: Yonder Walls Mural Festival General Info Meeting
- When: Thursday, February 12 | 6-8PM
- Where: MAKEbhm, 4000 3rd Ave S Suite 102, Birmingham, AL 35222
Follow Yonder Walls Mural Festival on Instagram to keep up with future meetings and important announcements.
Excited for Birmingham to have a brand-new mural festival? Tag us @bhamnow to let us know if you plan on participating!
