Sacramento Mural Festival Re-Brands As Wide Open Walls, Returns Aug. 10–20, 2017

Photo of artist Andrew Schoultz by Jonathan Carabba

The inaugural Sacramento Mural Festival took place for a week in August 2016 and left a colorful mark on the downtown area, bringing together nearly a dozen local and international artists to paint large-scale murals on buildings and walls. This year the event will return with a similar mission, even more artists and a new name, Wide Open Walls. Organizers are also looking to expand the event’s overall footprint to bring new works of art to areas like Natomas, Del Paso, the River District, Broadway, Oak Park, South Sacramento and Power Inn Road.

In a press release, Wide Open Walls event founder and well-known benefit auctioneer David Sobon stated that, “This festival will celebrate the incredibly rich story and promising future we have as a city that realizes the value that art brings to our lives,” going on to say, “Our strong artist culture is yet another great reason to live in, or visit Sacramento.”

Wide Open Walls will run from Aug. 10–20, 2017. Hit up Wow916.com to learn more and to find applications to be a participating artist or to volunteer. Be sure to mark your calendars and follow W.O.W. on their social media platforms, because you won’t want to miss this rare opportunity to see huge works of amazing art be created right in front of your own eyes.

**This write-up first appeared in print on page 8 of issue #238 (April 24 – May 8, 2017)**