In the last 25 years, New York’s Hudson Valley has become a treasure trove of hundreds of public murals from Albany to Yonkers. This talk will cover the upsurge in traditional mural painting as well as street art bringing color and excitement that transform drab and dull urban walls into explosions of creativity. Franc will discuss the first act of mural painting from 40,000 years ago by prehistoric cave dwellers to today’s young dynamic muralists who are changing the urban landscape. Murals do many things, as FDR proclaimed with his WPA, New Deal programs; they create jobs, discourage graffiti, build pride, attract tourists, humanize depressed inner-city neighborhoods, they become landmarks and overall foster vibrant communities where people can enjoy their surroundings and murals prove the value of art and artists in our daily lives.
