Before anything we are a group of proud Fresno artists, led by our instructor/director, Sam Canales.
In February of 2008 we began a creative journey to paint a mural, none of us knowing where it would take us, being led only by our love of art. When we came together most of us were strangers, from different social classes, ethnicities and ages. We all had a very different view of what art was and were all unaware of what we were capable of doing with it or how it could bring us all together.
Some of us did street art, others did portraiture, most of us had filled up the worn out pages of our sketchbooks, while only one of us had been formally trained. We did not focus on the obstacles, we just kept working forward drawing and sketching and planning even when we couldn’t see how it would all come together.
It was when we all met at the wall and transferred our small collaboration of ideas onto a seventy foot wall that the power of art really started to hit home. Excitement, pride, joy, unity and a group creativity that is hard to explain began to run through us like an electrical current as we conveyed it on that wall. When we were done we felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment.
We all came together, we did something big, we had fun, we couldn’t stop there.
Since the first mural the Muralistics have designed and created a mural for a convention, concerned with the future of Fresno, in October of 2008.
We also hosted and created the first annual “Creative Arts Gala”. This was a fundraising event for our program that included live performances by some of Fresno’s best musicians and poets. An amazing array of fine local and national artists were on display for a silent auction as well as a beautiful gallery of “The Muralistics” own individual artwork.
The Muralistics have designs for four new murals that will be painted from January into the spring of 2009. We have many more projects in the works. Please check our News and updates page for information on new murals, Art Hop shows, or upcoming fundriaser events.
