Nina Valkhoff
Believing in the ability of art to create a positive environment for learning, aWall Mural Projects has produced over 150 murals at schools across Miami Dade County since 2018. Founded and directed by artist Sergio Arce, who paints under the name Registered Artist, this year’s round of murals reached a peak during Miami Art Week. During that time, about 30 international artists descended on Miami to transform bleak school walls into something special.
For Arce, this period is the culmination of hard work that not only involves selecting artists and coordinating their murals, but begins much earlier through fundraising and working with schools to select walls in need of art. For the 2024 edition, he also mentored two college students in the art of mural-making and allowed them to contribute to his two finished pieces.
“The aWall Mural Projects is an incredible example of the positive power of art,” says Eugene Kim, co-founder and editor-in-chief of My Modern Met. “I was honored to meet some of the participating artists while providing media coverage for My Modern Met during Miami Art Week and Art Basel Miami. They are such good-hearted people with amazing talents.
“The stunning large-scale murals they created, at multiple schools across Miami, will impact thousands of children’s lives and I’ve seen comments on social media where students, past and present, are excited and proud that these artworks are being displayed at their schools. Imagine how this will impact their attendance, participation, education, and overall future. Kudos to Sergio (Registered Artist) and all of the participating artists for their massive contributions.
Arce’s hard work and dedication to bettering these schools, which are primarily located in low-income areas, is undoubtedly commendable. Drawing on a wide array of skills, he’s been able to steer aWall into a shining example of the transformative power of public art. “My Modern Met is proud to donate to the aWalls GoFundMe campaign,” Kim adds. “Our hope is that the community will support them as well so that they can continue to grow and do their important work.”
We had the chance to speak to him about the impetus behind aWall, what it’s like managing the festival, and his hopes for the future. Scroll down for My Modern Met’s exclusive interview and support future aWall murals through their GoFundMe.
Registered Artist
How long have you been painting and creating your own work out in the street?
I have been painting for over 15 years now and putting my work out in the streets for about maybe 13 years now.
How did aWall come about?
What inspired me to create aWall was seeing some of my peers creating their own art projects. At first, I just wanted to bring more art to blighted areas, but I soon found an opportunity to bring that art to public schools.
Shane Grammer
How does it feel to be on the other side as an organizer and director of a festival, rather than strictly an artist?
Before tackling this task of being an organizer and director of a mural festival, I was a charge nurse at the University of Miami Hospital. This gave me the opportunity to build on my leadership skills, manage a team, and work for a common goal. The biggest challenge I faced at first was just figuring how to start. I think that’s the hardest thing, taking that first step. You learn as you go, and there will always be difficulties and challenges, but without taking the initiative to even start, you will never know what you’re capable of. I believe that the fear of failing holds so many back from doing something great.
Congo
My Dog Sighs
What was the process for getting walls? Did you feel that schools were receptive?
With our first project, the walls were selected for us. The schools were receptive to the project but also weary, as there was no evidence of any previous projects. They really put their faith in us to do a good job and deliver on our promises. Since then, they have placed more trust in the process and have allowed us more freedom to create.
How do you think that street art can enhance public space?
I have first-hand seen how public art can transform public space with the rise of the Wynwood Art District in Miami, FL. It went from a blighted area of Miami to an art mecca recognized worldwide. Most of the schools we partner up with are in low-income areas, and these buildings have this institutional influence, which some find dreary. In all the years we have been doing this project, one of the takeaways we’ve noticed is that students, staff, and parents have all taken more pride in their schools. This has led to more community involvement and increased attendance in these schools.
Natalie Robinson
Wing Chow
What type of curatorial considerations did you make when selecting artists for the project?
The process we take to curate these schools is first finding artists who share the same passion and understanding of the importance of how art programs are to early education. Therefore, we do have a screening process where sketches are submitted, and a panel reviews each submission, ensuring it will have a positive impact on the students and staff of each school. Safety is also a big priority, so we perform background checks and lightly screen social media presence to get a feel for the artist’s personality.
What was the biggest challenge during Miami Art Week in getting such a large number of walls pulled off?
Currently, the biggest challenge we face during Miami Art Week is just getting through the traffic. It sounds silly, but when you have multiple schools in various areas in Miami, traffic plays a huge factor in being able to successfully complete all these murals.
MORAZUL
Patrick Maxcy
What do you hope that people take away from aWall?
What I would like people to take away from the work we are doing here with aWall is that art programs and initiatives do have a big impact on our communities. We hope to find more organizations supporting these types of initiatives.
Dodici
Registered Artist
What’s next for you and for aWall?
I’m hoping to take a few weeks off to reflect on this year’s project and see how we can improve and build a bigger impact for the upcoming year.