The Murals Of Downtown Birmingham Transform Vandalized Streetscapes To Avenues Of Hope

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2020/06/love-mural-smaller-1024x639-1-e1592322874591.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:1024;s:6:"height";i:576;s:4:"file";s:56:"2020/06/love-mural-smaller-1024x639-1-e1592322874591.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:12:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:56:"love-mural-smaller-1024x639-1-e1592322874591-336x189.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:189;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:56:"love-mural-smaller-1024x639-1-e1592322874591-771x434.jpg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:434;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:56:"love-mural-smaller-1024x639-1-e1592322874591-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:12:"medium_large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:56:"love-mural-smaller-1024x639-1-e1592322874591-768x432.jpg";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:432;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:54:"love-mural-smaller-1024x639-1-e1592322874591-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:56:"love-mural-smaller-1024x639-1-e1592322874591-600x338.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:56:"love-mural-smaller-1024x639-1-e1592322874591-300x300.jpg";s:5:"width";i:300;s:6:"height";i:300;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:56:"love-mural-smaller-1024x639-1-e1592322874591-553x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:553;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:56:"love-mural-smaller-1024x639-1-e1592322874591-470x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:470;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:28:"ab-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:56:"love-mural-smaller-1024x639-1-e1592322874591-600x400.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:25:"ab-block-post-grid-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:56:"love-mural-smaller-1024x639-1-e1592322874591-600x576.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:576;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:56:"love-mural-smaller-1024x639-1-e1592322874591-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => Tom Gordon
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => BirminghamWatch
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_wp_attachment_backup_sizes] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:13:{s:9:"full-orig";a:3:{s:5:"width";i:1024;s:6:"height";i:639;s:4:"file";s:33:"love-mural-smaller-1024x639-1.jpg";}s:14:"thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:41:"love-mural-smaller-1024x639-1-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:11:"medium-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:41:"love-mural-smaller-1024x639-1-336x210.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:210;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:17:"medium_large-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:41:"love-mural-smaller-1024x639-1-768x479.jpg";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:479;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:10:"large-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:41:"love-mural-smaller-1024x639-1-771x481.jpg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:481;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"wbhm-icon-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:39:"love-mural-smaller-1024x639-1-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:41:"love-mural-smaller-1024x639-1-600x338.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:25:"wbhm-featured-square-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:41:"love-mural-smaller-1024x639-1-300x300.jpg";s:5:"width";i:300;s:6:"height";i:300;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:23:"wbhm-featured-home-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:41:"love-mural-smaller-1024x639-1-498x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:498;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:27:"wbhm-featured-carousel-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:41:"love-mural-smaller-1024x639-1-425x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:425;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:33:"ab-block-post-grid-landscape-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:41:"love-mural-smaller-1024x639-1-600x400.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:30:"ab-block-post-grid-square-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:41:"love-mural-smaller-1024x639-1-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:19:"post-thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:41:"love-mural-smaller-1024x639-1-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}
        )

)
1621130292 
1592305451

The cleanup and restoration of downtown Birmingham continues as more murals are painted on plywood used to secure buildings vandalized almost two weeks ago after a protest.

Saturday morning, people are being invited to the Alabama Theatre, where they can get paint and go around painting their handprints on each of the large murals lining the sidewalks, according to Mary Jean Baker LaMay, one of the organizers of BHAM Cleanup.

The Love mural above, by Véronique Vanblaere, is one of many painted this week, adding to artistry begun after the May 31 demonstration.

Also see: From Chaos Comes Art: A Walk Through Downtown Birmingham

Local painter Shawn Fitzwater puts together his Rise mural as part of the BHAM Cleaup effort downtown.

 

UAB building among Alabama’s first to feature ‘bird safe’ glass

Advocates hope the new glass will prevent window collisions, a leading causes of bird mortality.

Researchers look into community health impact of wood pellet production in rural Mississippi

Brown University and Tougaloo College students are testing for potential air and noise pollution near the Drax wood pellet plant in Gloster, Mississippi.

Alabama coal company sued for a home explosion is delinquent on dozens of penalties

Crimson Oak Grove Resources has been cited for 204 safety violations since the March 8 blast, many involving “significant and substantial” safety violations.

The United Auto Workers faces a key test in the South with upcoming vote at Alabama Mercedes plant

The United Auto Workers is aiming for a key victory at Mercedes-Benz in Alabama. More than 5,000 workers at the facility in Vance and nearby battery plant will vote this week on whether to join the UAW.

Gambling, ethics bills fall short as legislative session ends

Alabama lawmakers closed the books on this year’s regular legislative session Thursday. While Republican leaders passed many of their priority bills, perhaps the most talked about issue – gambling – died.

A look at what passed and failed in the 2024 legislative session

Alabama lawmakers have ended a 2024 legislative session that saw the Republican majority win approval for a number of their top priorities.

More Arts and Culture Coverage