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FROM STAFF REPORTS

SELMA – Making Art Connections Across Selma will host its second annual Rising Mural Festival at Phoenix Park on Water Avenue Saturday, Oct. 18 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

All Selma residents are invited to attend and participate. Created in partnership with arts and business leaders from Columbus, Ohio, the Selma Rising Mural Festival will feature eight professional artists: three Columbus-based muralists and five Southeast artists. The artists will paint eight moveable mural boards assisted by Selma community members.

Those who attend are welcome to join and paint alongside the artists to contribute to the creation of the eight murals. All ages are welcome and no artistic experience is necessary.

“The MACAS Selma Rising Mural Festival brings people of all ages, races and abilities together for one day to beautify our town and demonstrate how collaboration makes Selma rise,” MACAS President Tres Taylor said. “Art has this unique power to unite communities and express our shared hopes in ways that transcend individual differences.”

Muralists from Columbus, Ohio, are: April Sunami, Shelbi Toone and David Butler, while Anne Smith Reeves, Winfred Hawkins, Dewon Moton, Robert Baynes along with Chapel Hill-based Tom Triumph represent the Southeast.

While in Selma, the eight artists will partner with Keith High School to create enriching arts experiences with poetry and visual art.

Along with painting murals in Phoenix Park, there will be children’s painting activities for Windows of Hope sponsored by Selma Center for Nonviolence, Truth, and Reconciliation.

Additional partners include CEAL Alabama, Live HealthSmart and Studio K. The Mac Kitchen food truck will be on-site serving food.

At the festival’s conclusion, the eight portable murals will remain in Phoenix Park for one year as an inspiring backdrop for visitors and local residents.

At the end of the year, the murals will be moved to their respective wards as permanent homes. The murals from the 2024 festival are being relocated to each of Selma’s eight wards. MACAS’ mission is to use community art projects as a bridge to create shared experiences, enrich our city with beauty, and inspire compassion.