Murals will be popping up all around town as Columbia prepares to make a positive impression at Freedom Fest.
Local artists are coming together to paint on walls all around downtown.
“It is an incredible opportunity for us,” Nik Ingram, director of Main Street Columbia, said. “We have a wonderful art community here.”
Ingram said there will be probably three or four murals painted by Freedom Fest next Saturday. One of the mural artists, Megan Sauls, will be doing a mural on the side of the building of Second Street Bean during the festival.
The first mural, a gopher turtle, is at the corner of Second Street and Beef Alley on the building owned by Mickey Webb. Sauls said they are starting off small to see how the paint holds with the environment.
Another art project at Bluff Street Park will feature 17 pieces of art by 17 different artists, which are mounted to metal and will be on display at the riverside park beginning at Freedom Fest.
Ingram said during the festival the trolley can be taken to Bluff Street Park to view the art. The pieces will then be displayed there for two months.
Ingram said at the end of the two months the artwork will be auctioned off on eBay with proceeds going partially to the artists and partially to Main Street Columbia for future art projects.
Ingram says he is hoping to have an outdoor art gallery at least twice a year.
