Discover the Most Stunning Street Art in 15 U.S. Cities
Chicago
You have to “heart” this gorgeous garage in the Chicago neighborhood Bucktown, painted a trendy millennial pink and featuring a giant red heart. It’s such a favorite among style and culture bloggers that it even has its own Instagram hashtag (#GBheart).
Los Angeles
Turn yourself into an angel with one of Colette Miller’s famous angel wing murals. As part of her Global Angel Wings Project which launched in 2012, Colette paints gorgeous wings on walls across the world to “remind humanity that we are angels of the Earth.” In fact, her latest installation in Los Angeles even includes the words, “you are a goddess living in a city of angels.”
New York City
You’ll find plenty of cool photo ops in the Big Apple, like one of artist JGoldcrown’s signature Bleeding Hearts murals, which actually began as a mistake. He explained in an interview, “I was actually testing the pressure of spray cans because I mixed spray paint with my multimedia and fashion photography work. To get the right pressure from the cans, I sprayed hearts on this door in my studio. Eventually, the door was full of hearts. When a client came in to pick up a piece I made for him, he ended up buying the door as well.”
Miami
If you’re traveling to South Beach or one of Miami’s other great neighborhoods, set aside time to see the Wynwood Walls. In what was once a struggling neighborhood, you’ll now find numerous murals and street art by local graffiti artists that capture the city’s signature Latin flair and vibrant culture.
Baltimore
You could visit this colorful backstreet 20 different times… and it would never be the same. That’s because Graffiti Alley is constantly changing and evolving. It’s a legal place in Baltimore for graffiti artists to express their creativity, and each day they’re adding new designs and fresh spray paint to this Midtown mecca. Here are more shockingly beautiful art installations around the world.
Boston
Painted by native Bostonian Caleb Neelon in 2016, the “Domino Theory” wall art is so large (it’s 175 feet long by 25 feet tall) you can see it from the highway. The brilliant backdrop was paid for entirely by Neelon and it went up over a blank wall that was thought of as an eyesore in the community. Here are 7 of the world’s funniest paintings.
San Diego
Greetings indeed: This North Park wall looks just like an oversized postcard, making it the perfect location for a touristy photo. It’s part of a larger project known as “The Greetings Tour” where artist Victor Ving travels the country, leaving his mark in various cities. The cool part? He always asks locals to come up with the scenes or images painted inside the letters.
Houston
One person’s trash is definitely another person’s treasure at Smither Park in Houston. The 400-foot mosaic “memory wall” contains all sorts of recycled finds from seashells to broken dishes to old nail polish bottles. Almost 300 artists participated in the design and construction of the installation in hopes of promoting more self-taught and collaborative art in the area.
Seattle
While Seattle might be best known as the birthplace of Starbucks, it’s also become famous for the Gum Wall. Found on the bottom level of Pike Place Market, the 50-foot-long brick wall is covered in pieces of chewed gum. What started as a company’s refusal to keep cleaning up old gum has now turned into a tourist draw. Don’t forget to stick on your own wad of bubble gum before you leave!
Philadelphia
Talk about a mural with meaning: “Start From Here” is a geometric wall by Isaac Lin that spans two buildings and uses the colors of national flags all across the world. His intent? To remind us all that, with the exception of Native Americans, we all came from different countries (even if it was our ancestors as immigrants) and that we all have the same opportunity to create our own lives here in the United States. Don’t miss these 10 secret messages hidden in world famous paintings.
Washington, D.C.
You might hear it referred to as “The Great Wave of Georgetown,” but this mural, done by J. McConnell, is a replica of the famous 19th-century woodblock print “Under the Wave off Kanagawa” by Hokusai.
Las Vegas
Originally created for the 2016 Life is Beautiful festival, this vibrant wall by Spanish street artist Felipe Pantone is set apart with a lightning bolt cutting through the center. And to pay homage to the city’s iconic style, Pantone added strands of solar-powered neon lights last year to what was his first 3D public mural. After all, in Vegas, brighter is always better. Here are 10 more must-see Las Vegas attractions that have nothing to do with gambling.
Dallas
Everything’s bigger in Texas… even the American flag. Located on the side of famous pub St. Pete’s Dancing Marlin, this patriotic painting is part of the 42 Murals Project in the Deep Ellum neighborhood. The project is designed to provide exposure for local artists and free art for the public. As a result, the area has quickly become an epicenter of arts and culture in Dallas. Here are the 20 most beautiful main streets in the country.
Portland
There are a lot of reasons Portlanders love their home state of Oregon, and artist Blaine Fontana captures those feelings in his mural titled “To Oregon With Love.” With the quote from Andrew Murphy—”you are only confined by the walls you build yourself”—sprayed in large letters, this inspirational installation encourages artistic expression.
Atlanta
Natives are very familiar with Hense, the splashy street artist who has taken the city by storm. One of his best-known pieces of work is a paint-splattered mural commissioned by the Atlanta Beltline. Next, check out these 30 must-see places in the United States your whole family will love.
