Murals in the News

 

New York City: dining at Veselka, a Ukrainian restaurant, which seems to be surviving the pandemic closures. In business for decades, Veselka has been a celebrity favorite: "If it weren’t so popular, Veselka (Ukrainian for rainbow) would be a cult hangout." Source: "The Bittersweet Tale of a Diner, a Toy Shop and a Changing New York," New York Times.

At left is another view of the Veselka mural on their patio. Their menu sounds fantastic! I wish I could eat there. (Image from Veselka website here.)

Shah Alam, Malaysia. "A doctor collects a swab sample outside a clinic." Photograph: Lim Huey. Source: "The Nutcracker and a canine mascot: Thursday's best photos" in the Guardian. Reading articles in other news sources, I've seen several other photos of this clinic mural with different people in front of it.

Paris, France. "Brothers Rudy (left) and Joël Lainé, pictured in the dining room of New Soul Food-Le Maquis" from an article about several new American soul food restaurants in Paris. See: "The New Soul Food of Paris Black chefs are exploring 'Afropean' identity and building on American soul food’s long history in the European dining capital" by Alexander Hurst, Eater online magazine.

Bristol, England: "People photograph a mural by the British artist Banksy titled Aachoo!!" Photograph: Geoff. Source: "Rescued puppies and a sneezing Banksy: Friday's best photos" in the Guardian. Bansky, the mysterious artist whose works seem to appear out of nowhere, and whose identity is a secret, acknowledged responsibility for this work in an Instagram post. The value of the house is supposed to have skyrocketed, as a Bansky mural is worth something like millions of dollars.

 

Mitchell, South Dakota. Annie Gowen in the Washington Post reports that people there ignored the coronavirus for months and went about their lives normally, unmasked and undistanced. Recently, however, the infection rate and the death rate became very high, and the city council considered a mask mandate. The meeting took place at the 19th century Corn Palace, the landmark of the town. I was very interested in the article and also in the historic murals in the photo. The caption: "Residents — some in masks, some not — speak during the city council meeting at the Mitchell Corn Palace on Nov. 23." (KC McGinnis for The Washington Post)

I'm a big fan of public art, and I'm lucky to live in a town where murals are valued and artists supported. I also keep my eyes open for murals in news photos from distant places. Sometimes the murals are a backdrop for scenes of daily life, but often, they have a meaning for the news that's happening in the photos where they appear.