thePULSE
Maria Connors
Art appreciation has historically been considered something only for the upper class to enjoy, a privilege only allowed to the most successful and wealthy. POW! WOW! Worcester is a ten-day art festival that brings art to the masses, painting bold and eye-catching murals on walls throughout the city. Their work from years past can be seen in neighborhoods across Worcester, decorating public spaces with bright colors and images that exclude no demographic from their enjoyment. Worcester boasts the highest collection of murals in New England, in large part thanks to POW! WOW! Worcester and their dedication to brightening and livening city spaces.
POW! WOW! is an international non-profit dedicated to the enrichment of communities and public spaces through art demonstrations and workshops, and has grown to a global network of art and artists dedicated to engaging communities through the creation and appreciation of art. 2019 holds in store the fourth permutation of POW! WOW! Worcester from August 16th to 23rd, and since it’s conception in 2016 has taken on a number of different themes to drive the intention of each festival.
Amy Peterson, a member of the POW! WOW! Worcester marketing committee, has been with the organization since Worcester’s first festival. POW! WOW! Worcester of 2016 focused on the city’s downtown, “improving walkability and helping with the perception of public safety.” In 2017, the focus was shifted to public schools and arts education, painting schools in each of the city’s districts and hosting arts workshops for students. The 2018 festival zoomed in to focus on various communities within the city and outlying neighborhoods, inspiring people to take pride in their own spaces. 2019’s POW! WOW! Worcester will once again take on a larger-scale theme or urban development, focusing on youth engagement and issues of diversity and inclusion. This year they have plans to partner with the Worcester Housing Authority in order to paint a number of walls around Great Brooke Valley, working within and alongside members of the community through the planning and execution phases.
Eamon Gillen, a committee member of the organization and participating artist in 2017, says that he loves how each year the festival feels “totally new”. Gilman is a tattoo artist at Crown of Thorns Tattoo, and has been painting murals on and off for the past 15 years. He says that to keep people from getting bored, POW! WOW! Worcester makes sure to “mix it up” in order to reach new audiences. He predicts that the festival will continue to grow more interactive in the future, even engaging with other forms of media. Even if these plans aren’t for the immediate future, it couldn’t be more clear that POW! WOW! Worcester is a movement that’s here to stay.
POW! WOW! Worcester is a festival designed to attractive and accessible to people of all ages, from all different backgrounds. Art fans will travel from all around the world to see their favorite artist in action, but their will also be talks delivered by artists, workshops and parties hosted by the non-profit to appeal to people outside of the arts community. When asked what it is about this festival that keeps her coming back each year, Peterson answered that the sense of civic pride, watching people take ownership over their city, inspires her. Over 115 pieces of public art have been painted since 2016, each one meaning something different to each person who interacts with it.
An important aspect of the festival that organizers pay careful attention to is representation within the group of artists they invite. Peterson is excited about the racial diversity and gender parity amongst the artists who have been confirmed for the festival, as well as the mix of local and visiting artists. The hope is that this festival truly represents everybody, and that every artist and community member can find pieces that they connect with personally.
Gillen describes the importance of POW! WOW! Worcester as coming from “art created for art’s sake”. These murals are not painted for businesses or advertisements – rather, they preserve the unadulterated, intimate experience of individuals interacting with art, without feeling as if you’re being manipulated or sold something. Peterson says that despite POW! WOW! being an art project, “we’re more than that”. They are invested in improving the lives of Worcester residents, designing the theme behind each festival as a response to the city’s environment. Art has the potential to be an active and evolving contribution to a community, and POW! WOW! Worcester is invested in making that contribution as big, bright and bold as they can.
