art as protest

This is amazing. What a response to the orange poo face.

A Bold Black Lives Matter Statement Transforms a Street Leading to the White House in Washington D.C.

From the artist's page: It’s the dawn of a new day! Wow, it’s done! New “Black Lives Matter” Mural painted in #WashingtonDC on road to White House (16th St.) They started at 3:00 am & just finished. Mayor Bowser approved it:” Joyce Karam #mayorbowser “chief of staff John Falcicchio wrote on Twitter, "There was a dispute this week about whose street this is. Mayor Bowser wanted to make it abundantly clear that this is DC’s street and to honor demonstrators who peacefully protested on Monday evening." Update: D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser renamed the street in front of the White House “Black Lives Matter Plaza” on Friday and emblazoned the slogan in massive yellow letters on the road, a pointed salvo in her escalating dispute with President Trump over control of D.C. streets.”


Artist Simone Leigh has painted a massive tribute to Black Lives Matter on the street leading to the White House in Washington, D.C. Completed in permanent street paint with the assistance of numerous volunteers, activists, and DC city employees, the message features bold, yellow letters that span more than a block of 16th Street and marks a historic moment in the United States after weeks of protests.

Mayor Muriel Bowser commissioned the banner-style piece, which was started at 3 a.m. Friday morning ahead of weekend demonstrations. The new message is just two blocks north of Lafayette Square, where police charged peaceful protestors and released tear gas and flash-bang shells to clear the crowd for a photo-op for President Trump earlier this week. It sits at the foot of St. John’s Church.

Update: Black Lives Matter D.C. has denounced the public display, saying, “This is performative and a distraction from her active counter organizing to our demands to decrease the police budget and invest in the community. Black Lives Matter means Defund the police.”

This piece has been updated to add that artist Simone Leigh painted the mural with the assistance of DC city employees and volunteers.

via {this is colossal}